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Both of our children attended Kimbolton School from reception to A level. Rob has always been a thorough and thoughtful professional, combining his passion for teaching and incredible technical ability in the French language. He has helped our daughter gain a deeper understanding of French language, culture and attitudes during her degree, for which we are profoundly grateful. He takes his safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and makes you feel confident as a parent. We are very fond of Rob and for good reason. He’s just great.
Douglas & Moira - Parents
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French was not our son’s strongest subject at school - it is fair to say he struggled, despite putting in the effort. His ambition for his GCSEs was that he should aim to pass the subject and leave it behind as he went into A-levels. We realised in year 10 that he needed some additional help to get a reasonable grade. We were lucky enough to be referred by a friend to Rob Knell. Rob is a marvel. That is not too strong a word. Our son is now confidently preparing for his French exams and is on track to achieve a top grade. We are proud of our son’s efforts and so very grateful for all the inspiration and care from Rob. You won’t regret having Rob work with your son or daughter.
Christina and Charles (Parents)
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Rob has tutored both my children for many years at school as well as intensive preparation for their French GCSEs and A-Levels and I can't praise him enough for the excellent results that they managed to achieve under his tutelage !!! ( A and A*). Rob has years of experience teaching and this clearly comes across in his work ethic - He was patient , made them feel highly capable , confident and extremely heplfull whenever they had queries /problems - this especially at the very stressful time ahead of exams . I cannot recommend Rob enough as a parent and my children thoroughly enjoy being taught by him over the many years.
Lita, Tyla & Sasha 2019-2022 - parent and daughters
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Mr Knell is an excellent teacher who is incredibly passionate about his subject. Every lesson is filled with fun and charisma, and the content is delivered to an extremely high standard. I attribute my grammatical strength and linguistic ability to him, and I am extremely grateful for the extra time he spent ensuring our understanding of all topics and grammatical rules. I truly could not have wished for a more caring and captivating teacher.
Lauren - former student
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I was lucky enough to be taught by Rob Knell when I was studying for my French A-level at Kimbolton School. He helped me with all aspects of French and constantly inspired me to be the best I could be. I have no doubt it was thanks to his fabulous teaching that I managed to secure the grade that I did. He instilled in me such a love of the language that I still read in French over 25 years later. I couldn’t recommend him more highly. A truly inspirational teacher with a wonderful, expansive knowledge.
Cassie - former student
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I asked Rob to help me with my personal statement on my university application as I was applying as a mature student. I emailed him my first draft and he made suggestions and comments on the format and content. We went back and forth a few times making tweaks here and there until we were both satisfied it was complete. This was so helpful for me as I'd been out of education for quite a few years at that point
Natalie - former student
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I have studied French since I was about 12 years old. However, I didn’t discover my true passion for it until 6th form with the wonderful Mr Knell. He introduced me to the wonders and challenges of the French language and literary works in such an immersive and interesting way. Such as, one of my now favourite French authors, Albert Camus. I was never one to grasp grammar points quickly. Mr Knell gave me the patience and determination I needed to come out of school and into a language degree with confidence in my own knowledge. One thing that stood Mr Knell apart from the rest, was his commitment and compassion to his students. He taught with enthusiasm and with genuine concern for our grades and wellbeing. I know that I can always count on Mr Knell being at the other end of an email for help and advice on all things French. I am confident I have him to thank for my successful French career so far and wish him all the best in his new business endeavours.
Rosie - former student
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Rob taught me 25 years ago and in those 25 years, I have never forgotten what a wonderful teacher he is. He showed a passion for his subject which was truly inspirational. He then evoked this same passion for French in me and supported me to achieve highly at A-level. Rob showed endless patience with all his students and went out of his way to ensure that everybody achieved their potential. His knowledge of France and its language is immense and I would thoroughly recommend him to anybody.
Amanda - former student
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I was lucky enough to have one-on-one tuition in French with Rob as part of my A-level preparation. It was a great experience on every level - his explanations were always clear and easy to follow, his attention to detail was reassuring and his patience was admirable. He was great at knowing how to pitch the session to the individual student and was comfortable with expanding widely on concepts when I was keen to know more, meaning I probably ended up with a much broader grounding in both language and culture than I would have in a traditional classroom setting. I’d highly recommend him as a teacher!
Nicky - former student
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Without any hesitations, Rob is a brilliant teacher who I would recommend to students who are going to take an IELTS exam. He is not only aware of particular skills and techniques, which help to take an examination successfully, but also he absolutely incredibly teaches how to apply the techniques related to listening, reading, writing, and speaking. His passion and devotion to his students are huge motivations while preparing. He has strong communication skills and knows how to encourage students in order to boost his confidence in an extremely short period. Practising for 2 weeks with Rob helped me to achieve an average score of 7. I'm thankful to him for his attention and kindness, dedication to his job, and enormous love for students, in my opinion, it is the main key to growing and achieving such great results.
Mariya - former student
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Rob is an inspirational teacher who always has his pupils' best interests at heart. He pushes them to be the best they can be whilst providing support and encouragement. Rob is completely bilingual and has a superb grasp of the French language. More importantly, he can explain new concepts clearly and simply, thereby increasing his pupils' confidence. Rob makes learning French fun, relevant and accessible to all.
Angela - former colleague
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Mr Robert Knell is a consummate professional with an impressive range of skills and talents. With his fluent linguistic expertise, he has been able to inspire generations of students, not only in terms of technical ability but also due to his genuine Francophile enthusiasm. As well as leading a very successful French Department over many years, Rob has proven leadership skills as a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Kimbolton School. He is a trusted colleague and source of sage advice. This has been particularly evident for Sixth Form students, where he has always been generous with his time in helping students make informed choices on their academic future, including university applications and help with Personal Statements.
Andrew - former colleague
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Rob demonstrates a level of proficiency in French to rival that of most native speakers, which is quite impressive. Without doubt, I credit him for planting a life-long love of the language when he taught me French at A Level, and for giving me the courage and confidence to pursue the subject at university. Rob’s grasp of the French language is astonishing, as is his awareness of all matters relating to the francophone world. He has a cultural reference for most things, and his passion for sharing this knowledge with his students is both inspiring and admirable. Traditional yet creative, his approach is thorough and rigorous, but also fresh and relevant. I feel such a sense of privilege and gratitude to have been taught by him; I doubt I would be where I am, and doing what I do, had it been otherwise.
Kate - Director of Modern Languages
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Rob is a highly committed school senior leader and Head of Department with over 30 years of teaching experience. He has been crucial in the language education of so many pupils and indeed in the professional development of lots of teachers at different stages of their careers. You could not be in safer hands. He is highly respected by his pupils, is caring, fair, organised, patient and has a great sense of humour that makes him so approachable. He is full of energy and dedication and he will no doubt be 100% committed to help you excel in your French or English studies. He comes highly recommended.
Marta - Head of MFL
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Cadre en communication pour un parti politique français, j’ai eu l’opportunité de rencontrer Robert Knell chef de section des cours de Français de la Kimbolton School lors d’échanges pédagogiques entre l’Angleterre et la France. Robert Knell s’est rendu à Paris à plusieurs voyages culturels avec ses élèves, pour visiter les lieux de pouvoir de la République française dont le parti du président de la République et l’hôtel de Matignon ; résidence officielle et lieu de travail du chef du gouvernement. Robert Knell pratiquant admirablement la langue française a pu ainsi échanger avec différentes personnalités politiques tout animant débats et réflexions avec ses élèves. J’ai eu l’occasion de me rendre à la Kimbolton school, où j’ai pu rencontrer les étudiants de Robert Knell qui maitrisaient convenablement l’expression orale ainsi que le vocabulaire et la grammaire française. il est manifeste que ces jeunes gens âgés de 16 à 18 ans étaient déjà en capacité d’utiliser la langue française efficacement grâce à un apprentissage innovant et engagé enseigné par Robert Knell
Philippe DUBOIS,Direction de la communication - Les Républicains
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J'ai confié, il y a quelques années, à Robert Knell la traduction français/anglais du portail hôtelier Villadelles, comportant une douzaine de sites web : cette prestation complexe, qui alliait l'usage du vocabulaire spécifique aux hôtels/restaurants et la prose descriptive sur l'agrément des lieux, a été réalisée efficacement et avec finesse. Robert Knell est aussi un fin connaisseur de la langue de Molière, un expert de l'œuvre de Camus, bref, un francophone d'adoption et un francophile. Dans son parcours professionnel, il a eu l'opportunité d'être l'organisateur de rencontres sportives étudiantes, il maîtrise donc également le vocabulaire et les règles des principaux sports. Fort de ces compétences multiples, Robert Knell a été l'un des dirigeants de la prestigieuse école de Kimbolton, et à ce titre, il est également qualifié pour rédiger des interventions et prendre la parole devant un public, ou face aux médias.
Laurent Morel, Ancien responsable marketing de Villadelles
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Robert Knell est un fin connaisseur de la langue de Molière, un expert de l'œuvre de Camus, bref, un francophone d'adoption et un francophile. Dans son parcours professionnel, il a eu l'opportunité d'être l'organisateur de rencontres sportives étudiantes, il maîtrise donc également le vocabulaire et les règles des principaux sports. Fort de ces compétences multiples, Robert Knell a été l'un des dirigeants de la prestigieuse école de Kimbolton, et à ce titre, il est qualifié pour rédiger une intervention et prendre la parole devant un public, ou face aux médias
Laurent - Paris
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23 years ago I arrive in a little town call Rushden in Northamptonshire from Bordeaux ( France) where I sign for Rushden & Diamonds FC with no word of English. The Club hire Mr knell and after 2 months they had enough of me talking in the changing room lol. Not only you a good teacher, good person but also Family Man. Mr Knell thank you very much for your time and energy during those lesson
Jean-Michel - ex-footballer
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Rob played an important part in the background development of Rushden & Diamonds Football Club through his close work and mentoring of our non-English speaking foreign players. Not only did he focus on their initial language barriers, but also helped them understand the culture the players were moving into and what was expected of them. These players not only benefited from Rob's absolute focus and enthusiasm for each project in the short term, but many of the players Rob worked with went on to create a life on these shores and their ability to do that comes from Rob's contact with them in the early days of their time in this country. Rob went above and beyond in his work with footballers and his input in the success and reputation the club gained during its most triumphant days should not be underestimated.
Andy Burgess - ex-footballer
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Rob Knell taught me A level French and has guided me in the final year of my undergraduate degree in Modern Languages. Rob has the strongest command of French, and I owe my success to his passion and mastery of the language. His unwavering patience to answer all my silly questions allowed my confidence to flourish particularly in stressful times like exam periods. All the sophisticated phrases and refined lexicon Rob taught me have been immensely useful at university to distinguish myself in all written work and oral exams. Having received the top-most level of guidance and teaching at A level I felt enormously prepared for university level French which would not have been the case without his tutelage. Thanks to Rob’s guidance, I have progressed leaps and bounds and I have no doubt he will be an asset to anyone seeking his services. Rob is professional, reliable, and truly passionate about helping others succeed; an inspiration to me and many others.
Ella - 4th year undergraduate (Bath University)
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Rob Knell helped me immensely throughout my French A-Level and application to Cambridge. Thanks to his dedication, support and passion for the subject I realised my love for languages and was able to pursue it. With his tutelage, I gained in-depth linguistic and cultural understanding which has stood me in great stead for higher education.
Ella - Cambridge University undergraduate
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