I have spent the last 18 years working in education - as a classroom teacher, educational consultant, and subject lead for computer science. Teaching is something I fell into and never wanted to leave, because there is nothing quite like that moment when a concept clicks for someone.
Most of my career has been focused on computer science and ICT. Between me and my co-founder Paul, we have over 35 years of combined experience teaching these subjects at every level. I have taught both A-level and GCSE computer science for more than 8 years, and the results speak for themselves - but more on that below.
In 2019, I co-founded Smash Your Exams, a tutoring and exam preparation company focused on helping GCSE and A-level students achieve their best possible grades. That experience taught me a lot about what works in education - and what does not. It also gave me the drive to find ways to make quality learning accessible to more people, not just those who can afford one-to-one tuition.
When AI tools started to become genuinely useful, I saw an opportunity to combine everything I knew about teaching with this new technology. I built Smash Your Revision, an AI-powered tutoring platform that has since been used by thousands of students. It was my first real project at the intersection of education and AI, and it showed me just how much potential these tools have when they are built with proper teaching experience behind them.
That same thinking is what led Paul and me to start Smash Your AI. We realised that the skills we had developed - breaking complex ideas down, teaching practical techniques, and focusing on real outcomes rather than theory - were exactly what businesses and individuals needed to get value from AI.
I believe in measuring what matters. Over the years, the results from my teaching have consistently been among the best in the country.
GCSE results nationally at Smash Your Exams
Progress score - students achieve 1.5 grades higher on average
A-level results for progress nationally
These are not vanity metrics. A progress score of +1.55 means that, on average, students I have worked with achieve one and a half grades higher than expected based on their prior attainment. That is a huge difference in terms of life outcomes - the difference between a grade 5 and a grade 7, or a C and an A.
At A-level, my students' progress has consistently placed them in the top 20% nationally. These outcomes come from years of refining how I teach, how I structure learning, and how I use data to identify exactly where students need support.
I bring that same evidence-based, results-focused approach to everything I do with AI training. If something is not delivering measurable improvements, it is not worth teaching.
Today, my work spans several interconnected roles - all of which revolve around making complex things simple and getting real outcomes for real people.
Co-founded with Paul to help businesses and individuals across the UK get practical, measurable results from AI. We run workshops, training sessions, and one-to-one consultancy - all built on the teaching methods that have worked for us in education for decades.
As a senior content specialist, I work on curriculum-aligned revision resources used by millions of students worldwide. It keeps me close to the latest developments in education and assessment - and gives me daily practice in making complex topics genuinely clear.
An AI tutoring platform I built to give every student access to quality, personalised help - not just those who can afford a private tutor. It is used by thousands of students and continues to grow as I add new subjects and features.
The tutoring and exam prep company I co-founded in 2019. With results in the top 4% nationally and progress scores of +1.55, it remains a core part of what I do - and proof that the right approach to teaching really does make a difference.
After nearly two decades of teaching, the thing I keep coming back to is this: most people do not need more information - they need someone who can explain it properly. That is true in the classroom, and it is just as true with AI.
There is no shortage of AI content online. But most of it is written by people who have never had to teach a room full of sceptical adults, or explain a new concept to someone who has been doing their job perfectly well without it for twenty years. That is where I am different. I have spent my entire career learning how to take complex, technical ideas and make them genuinely accessible - without dumbing them down.
I am also active in the computing education community, keeping up with curriculum reviews, AI in education research, and the latest thinking from computing education leaders. That means the training I deliver is not just practical - it is grounded in the best available evidence about how people actually learn.
What motivates me most is helping people see results quickly. Whether that is a business owner who saves five hours a week by automating a report, a teacher who discovers how to build resources in half the time, or a student who finally understands a topic they have been struggling with - those moments are why I do this work.
AI is not going away, and the people who learn to use it well now will have a significant advantage. I want to help as many people as possible get to that point - without the jargon, without the hype, and with results they can actually measure.
Book a free discovery call with James and Paul to talk through how AI training could make a real difference to your business.
Book a free discovery call