Izu Anajuba

My name is Izu, and I study Computer Science at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. I tutor Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Computer Science for GCSE students and younger, and support students through 11+, 13+ and 16+ entry. I also tutor Physics and prepare students for the TMUA. I graduated from St Paul’s School with four A*s at A-Level, in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computer Science and my EPQ, and received the Newton Prize for Mathematics.

My approach to tutoring is shaped by my own journey through technical subjects and music. While building my EPQ project, an app that trains a musician’s ear, I found that abstract programming concepts and complex mathematical logic only really clicked when applied to tangible problems. Memorising syntax or step-by-step algorithms was never enough; real mastery meant understanding the mechanics underneath. I love the moment a student finally understands something they thought they never would, and realises it’s far simpler than it first appeared.

Before each lesson, I prepare a plan tailored to the topics the student wants to target. We start by cementing the basics, then move from straightforward questions to harder, exam-style problems. Rather than talking at a student for an hour and a half, I ask probing questions to draw out their thinking, so the lesson feels like a collaboration. Having navigated competitive entrance exams myself, I know how stressful 11+, 13+ and GCSE preparation can be, and my goal is to give students both top grades and the confidence to handle any level of difficulty.

One session that stands out involved a student struggling with recursion and proof by mathematical induction. Rather than just reviewing code examples or rigid algebraic steps, we drew out the execution stack to see how each step depends on the one before. Linking the abstract logic to a practical picture took the student from complete confusion to confidently writing their own recursive algorithms and constructing formal proofs from scratch.

My life outside academics has influenced my teaching too. Balancing demanding STEM studies with First Team basketball, high-level rugby and Grade 8 Piano taught me to communicate clearly under pressure, and leading inter-school community initiatives through the West London Partnership showed me how to break big goals into structured, achievable steps.

At the core of my teaching, I want lessons to feel intellectually engaging without being intimidating. Whether I’m helping a student make sense of a tricky algebraic idea or guiding them through unfamiliar computer science logic, my aim is not only to boost grades but to equip students to tackle new challenges independently.

I joined Mayfair Scholars to make entrance and exam preparation less stressful, with lessons that build confidence as well as grades.