GCSE tuition

Expert GCSE Arabic tuition for UK students

Your son or daughter deserves a tutor who knows the papers inside out. Dr Suzanne Kobeisse is a University Lecturer and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy who prepares UK students for their GCSE Arabic exams, with lessons built around the specific board, the target grade, and the skills that need work.

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Why parents choose us

Tuition that gives your child a real advantage

Arabic GCSE is a small-entry subject, so most schools cannot offer dedicated tuition. That gap is where we come in.

University-level teaching expertise

Dr Suzanne Kobeisse is a University Lecturer and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, with over a decade of Arabic teaching experience at academic level. Your child learns from someone who works in higher education, not just a tutor working through a textbook.

Exam-board specific preparation

Lessons are matched to the AQA or Edexcel specification your child is sitting. Every exercise, vocabulary list, and past paper is chosen for that board, so nothing is wasted on content that will not come up.

Flexible scheduling around school

Sessions run over Zoom in the evenings, at weekends, and during half-term holidays. Lessons fit around your child's timetable, not the other way round.

Exam boards covered

AQA and Edexcel, both specifications

GCSE Arabic sits under two UK awarding bodies. The format and marking schemes differ, which is why the right preparation matters. Below is what your child can expect for each board.

AQA

AQA GCSE Arabic (8648)

The AQA specification centres on three broad themes: identity and culture, local and global areas of interest, and current and future study and employment. Vocabulary and grammar build steadily across the two years.

Paper structure, all four skills

  • Paper 1, Listening, 25% of the grade
  • Paper 2, Speaking, 25%, role play and photo card
  • Paper 3, Reading, 25%, including a translation task into English
  • Paper 4, Writing, 25%, structured tasks and translation into Arabic

What Suzanne teaches for AQA

The three themes are worked through in sequence, with vocabulary drills, role-play rehearsal, targeted grammar, and past-paper practice for each. Speaking preparation is given weight because it is the paper many students find most daunting.

Edexcel

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Arabic (1AA0)

The Edexcel specification is organised around five themes, with similar coverage across the four skills. It has a slightly different balance of marks and a distinctive picture-based speaking task.

Paper structure, all four skills

  • Paper 1, Listening and understanding, 25%
  • Paper 2, Speaking, 25%, picture-based discussion and conversation
  • Paper 3, Reading and understanding, 25%, with translation
  • Paper 4, Writing, 25%, structured and open-ended tasks

What Suzanne teaches for Edexcel

The five themes are scheduled across the year with topic-by-topic vocabulary, grammar building blocks, and regular past-paper practice. Particular attention is given to the picture-based speaking task, which rewards preparation more than most parts of the exam.

How it works

Four steps, from first conversation to exam day

Every student starts in a different place, with a different target, and a different amount of time before the exam. The process is the same, the content is personalised.

1

Assessment

A short starter session to work out where your child is now, what they find easy, where they struggle, and what grade they are aiming for. No pressure, no tests, just a proper conversation.

2

Custom plan

A written plan mapped to the exam board, the timeline to the exam, and the weak spots identified in the assessment. You and your child see exactly what each term will cover.

3

Weekly lessons

One-hour lessons over Zoom, building skills across all four papers in a deliberate rhythm. Short homework tasks between lessons keep vocabulary and grammar warm.

4

Exam prep phase

In the final months, lessons shift to past papers, timed writing, speaking rehearsal, and exam technique. Your child walks into each paper knowing the format, not guessing at it.

What is covered

Every skill the examiner tests

GCSE Arabic weighs the four skill areas equally. Grammar and exam technique run across all of them, so they get their own focus too.

ق

Reading

Comprehension of short and longer passages, including news extracts and personal writing. Suzanne teaches scanning, vocabulary inference, and the translation task, which is often the deciding factor on the paper.

ك

Writing

Structuring 40 to 90 word and 150 word responses cleanly, using linking words, accurate verb forms, and a bank of go-to phrases. Translation into Arabic is practised paragraph by paragraph until it feels routine.

س

Listening

Training the ear on different Arabic speakers, accents, and speeds. Suzanne uses past-paper audio alongside authentic material, and teaches your child to catch key information the first time.

ن

Speaking

The speaking exam is rehearsed with the actual task formats of the chosen board. Role plays, photo or picture cards, and conversation topics are practised until your child sounds calm and prepared.

ح

Grammar

Nouns, verbs, and sentence structure are introduced in sensible order, with plenty of practice. Grammar is taught in the context of real sentences, not memorised tables, so your child can use it under pressure.

م

Exam technique

Reading the question properly, planning answers, managing time across each paper, and avoiding the common slip-ups examiners flag in their reports. Technique often lifts a student a full grade on its own.

Parent FAQ

The questions parents ask most often

If you have a question that is not here, please ask it on the parent call. Every family's situation is different.

How much do GCSE lessons cost?

Current rates depend on session length and whether you book lessons weekly or in blocks. Because pricing is reviewed each academic year, we share the current schedule directly rather than publishing it online. Get in touch for current rates and we will send them by email the same day.

How often should lessons be?

One lesson per week is the standard rhythm. It gives your child enough time to absorb new material without feeling overloaded. Students sitting the exam within three or four months sometimes move to twice a week for the final stretch. We talk through the right frequency during the parent call, based on the exam date and current level.

Do you set homework?

Yes, but it is realistic. Homework is usually 20 to 40 minutes across the week: a vocabulary list, a short writing task, or a past-paper question. It is designed to keep what was covered in the lesson warm, not to add school-style pressure. Parents receive a copy of the weekly task on request.

Can you support my child through the speaking exam?

Absolutely, and it is the area most tutors skimp on. Suzanne runs full speaking rehearsals using the exact task formats of the AQA or Edexcel exam: role plays, photo cards, picture-based discussions, and general conversation. In the final weeks, full mock speaking exams are recorded so your child can hear where they are strong and where to polish.

Will you work with heritage Arabic speakers, children who already speak some at home?

Yes, and heritage learners are often the most rewarding students to teach. The challenge is usually that they can speak and understand a dialect at home but have never written formally, read longer passages, or learnt grammar in a structured way. The lessons fill those gaps whilst still respecting what they already know.

Do you provide progress reports to parents?

Yes. A short written progress note is sent every half-term covering what has been covered, where your child is performing well, and what we are working on next. You are welcome to join the last five minutes of any lesson to hear it directly, or arrange a separate parent update call whenever you need one.

أهلاً وسهلاً

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A free 20-minute chat with Dr Suzanne Kobeisse, with or without your child on the call. You describe what your son or daughter needs, Suzanne explains how she would approach it, and you decide from there. No sales pressure, no commitment.

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