History tutoring for school and exams
Personal History tuition for CAPS, IEB, Cambridge and IB, from junior school to matric and A Level. We help students understand the events, work with sources and write a clear argument, with a tutor teaching one-on-one and an Education Consultant overseeing the programme.
From knowing the story to explaining it
Your child may know what happened but find it harder to explain why, weigh up a source or write an essay that answers the question. History asks students to use what they know. We look at recent schoolwork and assess their understanding to see where the difficulty lies.
Lessons help your child put events in order, connect causes with consequences and choose evidence for an answer. Talking an idea through with a tutor gives them time to test their understanding before putting it into writing. We work with the periods and topics their school is teaching.
History from junior school to matric
Grades 4 to 6
Help with the History component of Social Sciences. We use the schoolwork to build a sense of time, understand accounts of the past and find information in sources, with practice explaining ideas in your child’s own words.
Grades 7 to 9
Develop the reading and writing skills needed as Social Sciences becomes more demanding. Lessons can cover chronology, causes and consequences, comparing sources and using evidence in a paragraph.
Grade 10 to matric
Support for CAPS and IEB History, including source-based questions, essay planning and revision. We help your child develop an argument, select relevant historical evidence and complete answers within the time available.
Cambridge and IB History
We tutor Cambridge IGCSE, AS and A Level History. Schools choose from different periods and topics, so we begin with the student’s syllabus and the options they are studying. Lessons can address historical knowledge, interpreting sources and explaining an answer with evidence.
For IB History, we support Standard Level and Higher Level students. Your child can work on comparing perspectives, evaluating evidence and explaining a historical judgement. Include the level, selected topics and exam year when you enquire so tuition follows the right course.
Reading sources with a question in mind
A photograph, cartoon, speech or written account gives students something to investigate. We start with what the source says or shows, who produced it and the circumstances in which it was created. Your child then practises using those details to answer the particular question.
When a question asks about usefulness or reliability, simply calling a source biased is rarely enough. The tutor helps your child explain what the source can tell us, where its limits lie and how other evidence affects the judgement. Comparing two sources means identifying a point of agreement or difference and supporting it.
Essays with an argument and evidence
We begin an essay with the question and a short plan. What position will your child take? Which examples support it? Each paragraph needs a clear point, relevant evidence and an explanation of how that evidence answers the question. We work on keeping the argument visible from the introduction to the conclusion.
Revision can include timelines, topic questions and recalling examples without notes. Near exams, we add suitable past papers and timed writing. Reviewing the work shows whether the next lesson needs to address knowledge, reasoning or how much detail your child can manage in the time.
Our approach
Assess
First, we assess the student to identify gaps in the fundamentals (what content don’t they know?) and common error types (how are they losing marks?).
Match
Then, we select a mentor from our team of History tutors. It is crucial for a student to ‘like’ their tutor and look forward to the lessons.
Teach
The trained tutor comes to the house for high-impact one-on-one lessons where they actually teach the ideas and concepts.
Practise
We set structured homework for the student to do in between lessons. When it comes to learning, practice is key.
Engage
We use projects, experiments, and practical demonstrations to excite the student and pique their interest.
Test
The student writes regular mock tests so that they can practise their skills under exam conditions, and we can monitor their progress and increase their confidence.
Refine technique
A student needs to familiarise themselves with the technical requirements of the memorandum in order to excel. We teach test-taking techniques.
Supervise
We supervise, guide and support the programme to ensure a great result.
History lessons at home or online
History lessons are available at home in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria, and live online. Your child can discuss a source, work through an essay plan and review their writing with the tutor.
Our History tutors achieved distinctions in the subject at school, have studied a relevant field at university, and passed our History intake exam and tutor training with distinction.
They know the work and how to teach it; our students frequently improve their marks by 20%.
Your Education Consultant is the senior team member who plans and oversees your child’s tuition. They choose and supervise the tutor, review progress and keep your family informed. The programme can change as your child moves from learning a topic to preparing for an exam.
Questions about History tuition
Do you help with History in primary school?
Yes. In CAPS, History forms part of Social Sciences in Grades 4 to 9. We follow the school’s work and help younger learners understand events, read sources and put their answers into words. Tell us your child’s grade and what they are studying.
Do you tutor CAPS and IEB History through matric?
Yes. Lessons follow your child’s course and assessment requirements, with support for source-based work, essays and exam preparation. A recent marked test can help us see where answers need stronger knowledge, clearer reasoning or more relevant evidence.
Can you help with source-based questions?
Yes. We practise reading the source and the question together, selecting the information needed and explaining what it means. Your child can also work on comparing sources and judging their usefulness or reliability in the context of the question.
My child knows the content but loses marks in essays. Can you help?
We look at how the answer is planned and whether each paragraph supports an argument. The tutor can help your child choose evidence, explain it and stay focused on the question. Your child writes their own responses and uses feedback to improve the next one.
Do you tutor Cambridge and IB History?
Yes, including Cambridge IGCSE, AS and A Level, and IB Standard Level and Higher Level. Send the syllabus, exam year and selected topics, if you have them. Those details matter because students on the same qualification may study different periods and options.
How do you help with remembering dates and events?
We connect dates to a sequence of events and the reasons those events matter. Timelines, discussion and short recall questions can reveal what your child understands and what still needs practice. We then use that knowledge in source questions and written arguments.
What does tuition cost, and how do we start?
Our fee structure explains the assessment and tuition fees. Enquire with your child’s grade, course and what they need help with. You can also read how we operate for more about assessment, tutor matching and programme planning.
What our families say
While we were skeptical about investing so much money in a parallel academic programme over and above the fees we pay, Genius has proven to be the best investment we have ever made for our child.
Genius provided a total package that can be summed up in one word, exceptional. … the quality of Genius’s tutors are unrivalled and monetary value cannot be placed on the instrumental part the tuitio…
The Genius team are thorough and spend time fully assessing your requirements before putting a study plan into place. This pre-planning definitely assists in making the Genius programme bespoke and e…
Ready to bring out the best in your child?
Speak to our team about a personalised one-on-one tuition programme - in Johannesburg, Cape Town, or online.