Aylesbury-based business celebrates 10th anniversary after going from one woman's part-time local venture to national acclaim

An Aylesbury-based tutoring business which started as a part-time venture for a single-mother turned 10 last month.

Since its inception, Clara James Tutoring, has gone from a part-time gig for founder Dawn Strachan, to an organisation shortlisted for three national awards.

All staff use her teaching techniques which specialise in offering a more interactive, engaging style of learning.

Initially Dawn taught children based around Thame and Long Crendon, now her lesson plans and online activities have been used across the world including in the USA.

She told The Bucks Herald: "Since my youngest was little I'd worked in childcare and educational settings, predominantly early years and special needs settings.

"I'd always wondered whether Clara, my oldest daughter, might be mildly dyslexic and when I approached the school they commented and said: 'well, dyslexia is an excuse for laziness'.

"Not being the most confident person in the world, I didn't fight my corner and accepted what they said.

"At the time I was doing my degree in Childcare and Education, and I thought if I learn about dyslexia it will complement the degree and also help her.

"When I wrote my first tutoring profile on this national platform, and thought if nothing ever comes of this, that's fine, I tried.

"I got my first student a couple of weeks later, and then my second. We were living in Long Crendon, Thame, that sort of area. Which is the sort of place, where if one person says something then everyone knows about it.

"Before long my reputation started to grow."

Such was Dawn's success that within six months of starting her tutoring business she was able to take the job on full-time and leave her other role working for an opticians.

Clara James Tutoring's ethos is that we all learn differently and that is far harder to learn if we are not relaxed and open to learning.

Using this format Dawn designs activities which are likely to increase youngsters ability to take in details.

She said: "If we do something once, we create a memory. So, for example, if we do a worksheet, that information is lodged somewhere in our mind.

"If we complete a second worksheet, we are reinforcing that knowledge. But, our brain still only has one place to go to find the information that it needs.

"However, if we do a range of different activities, we are creating more memories within our brain. When that information is needed, our brain has more places to go to where it can find the knowledge that it is seeking."

Over the coming years Dawn hopes to turn her tutoring service into a franchise so more children can benefit from her teaching style.

Clara James Tutoring got its name from Dawn's two oldest children, James and Clara, while the Angel in the company's logo, represents her youngest who shares that name.

The Entrepreneur's Circle has shortlisted the grassroots company for three separate national customer service-related accolades.

Dawn said: "The whole thing was just supposed to be a couple of extra hours a week, to get my brain working, while I was at the opticians.

"For some extra money to pay for the kids hobbies and things. Now it has become far bigger than I ever guessed it would."