Nicola Brooksbank

Founder, Director of Learning and Specialist Humanities Tutor

Market Rasen | In-centre, home education groups and online tuition

Nicola is the Founder and Director of Learning at Learning Loft UK. She is a highly experienced teacher, tutor and education leader with a specialist background in History, Humanities, curriculum development and flexible learning pathways.

Nicola also brings lived experience of ADHD, diagnosed in adulthood, which informs her understanding of learners who may think differently or need an alternative route into education.

She combines strong subject knowledge, clear teaching and broad leadership experience to support learners across KS2, KS3, GCSE, Functional Skills and A Level.

Subjects:

History, English, Maths, Sociology, Religious Studies, Government and Politics, Archaeology, Art History, Art, Drama and Dance

Levels:

KS2, KS3, 11+, Functional Skills, GCSE and A Level

Best suited for:

Learners needing support with Humanities, English, Maths, exam preparation, home education pathways and flexible learning routes

Delivery:

In-centre tuition, group provision, online tuition and home education programmes

Key strengths:

Humanities teaching, curriculum development, department leadership, exam preparation, online learning and community-based education

Professional background

Nicola’s career in education began in 2007 after graduating from the University of Hull with a 2:1 BA Honours degree in History, History of Art and Archaeology. She went on to complete a PGCE in Secondary Education, followed by an MA in Education from Bishop Grosseteste University in 2010.

Nicola began her teaching career at The Priory Academy LSST in Lincoln, where she taught History and Archaeology. In 2010, she was promoted to Head of Archaeology.

In 2014, Nicola moved to Baysgarth School in North Lincolnshire as Head of Humanities, where she was tasked with improving standards across the department. She joined a new leadership team and, within two years, helped transform the department into a flagship area for other faculties within the school.

Nicola continued to expand her leadership responsibilities and became an Associate Assistant Head in 2016. In this role, she oversaw both the Humanities and Creative Arts faculties, including Art, Drama, Music, Photography, Graphics, Sociology, Religious Studies and History. She also completed the NPQML in 2016 and became a Specialist Leader of Education for North Lincolnshire Council in 2017, supporting other schools to raise standards in Leadership and Humanities.

In 2018, Nicola moved away from traditional classroom teaching to focus on family and community-based education. She now runs a community café that hosts a weekly home education programme, offering lessons in English, Maths, Art and Science. Alongside this, she has developed an extensive online teaching practice, delivering a wide range of courses up to A Level.

Teaching approach

Nicola’s teaching is experienced, structured and responsive to individual learners. Her background spans classroom teaching, school leadership, curriculum development, one-to-one tutoring, online teaching and community-based education, giving her a broad understanding of how to adapt learning for different ages, subjects and educational routes.

She supports learners by combining strong subject knowledge with clear explanations, careful planning and flexible delivery. Her experience across high-expectation school environments, home education groups and individual tuition allows her to meet learners at different stages of confidence, ability and readiness.

Nicola’s key areas of expertise

• 11+ verbal and non-verbal reasoning
• KS2 and KS3 literacy, English and Maths
• Functional Skills English and Maths
• GCSE English Literature and English Language
• GCSE History, Sociology, Religious Studies and Government and Politics
• A Level History, Sociology and Government and Politics
• Archaeology, Art History, Art, Drama and Dance
• Humanities curriculum development
• Department and faculty leadership
• Online teaching and home education provision

Qualifications and professional experience

• BA Honours degree in History, History of Art and Archaeology
• PGCE in Secondary Education
• MA in Education
• NPQML
• Specialist Leader of Education for North Lincolnshire Council
• Former Head of Archaeology
• Former Head of Humanities
• Former Associate Assistant Head
• Experience teaching and leading across Humanities and Creative Arts
• Education career spanning from 2007 onwards