One-to-one tuition · Years 4–12
The hour your child
stops guessing.
I teach maths and English to one student at a time, in a weekly slot that stays theirs for the term. Sessions follow the work that is actually set at school — not a generic workbook.
Term-time weekly · In-home or online whiteboard · Written note after every third session
01 · Teaching lanes
Four lanes, each with its own plan
A Year 5 student who has lost confidence in fractions needs almost nothing in common with a Year 12 student rebuilding essay structure. Pick the lane that sounds like your household and we start there.
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Years 4–6
Foundations and confidence
We slow down and fix the gaps that make everything after them feel hard: place value, fractions, times tables held in memory rather than on fingers, and reading a question before answering it. Short written tasks, a lot of talking out loud.
60 minutes
Weekly -
Years 7–9
The algebra and essay bridge
The two years where tuition usually starts. Algebra stops being arithmetic with letters, and English asks for an argument instead of a retelling. We work from the current unit, keep a shared notebook of worked examples, and rehearse paragraph structure until it is automatic.
60 minutes
Weekly -
Years 10–11
Method under time pressure
Most marks lost here are not knowledge — they are setting out, units, and the second half of a multi-step question. We practise full-length responses with the clock running, then mark them together against the criteria so the student can see exactly where the marks went.
60 or 90 minutes
Weekly -
Year 12
Exam-year coaching
A fixed 90-minute slot through the final year, built around assessment dates rather than the textbook order. Between sessions the student sends one piece of work; it comes back annotated before we meet. Places in this lane are limited and close early in the year.
90 minutes
Weekly
02 · How it runs
From first message to a settled weekly rhythm
Nothing here is a surprise. You will know the plan, the slot and the cost before the first paid session.
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Consultation
A short conversation with you, no charge. What has changed, what the school has said, and what your child would say if asked. I will tell you honestly whether tuition is the right answer.
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Diagnostic session
One full session with the student. We work through recent class material to find where understanding actually stops, which is rarely where the report says it does.
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Written plan
You receive a one-page plan: the three things we are fixing this term, the order, the agreed slot, and what practice looks like between sessions.
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Weekly sessions
The same time each week for the block, with a short progress note every third session so you can see movement without having to ask for it.
03 · Method
What I believe about tutoring
A student who can explain the step out loud will still have it in June. A student who has only watched me do it will not.
So sessions are quiet, slow and conversational. I write less than the student does. Work goes into one notebook that stays with them, because a worked example in their own handwriting is worth more in a revision week than any handout I could print. When something is not working I change the approach rather than repeating it louder.
Where sessions happen
04 · Right fit
Honest about who this suits
Weekly one-to-one tuition is a real commitment of time and money. It is worth knowing in advance whether it is the right tool for what you are facing.
A good fit when
- Your child understands the lesson in class but cannot start the homework alone.
- Marks have slipped in one subject while the rest held steady.
- There is a specific gap — a missed term, a changed school, a topic that never landed.
- An exam year is coming and you want a structure in place before it starts, not after the first result.
- Your household can protect the same hour each week for a full ten-week block.
- The student is willing to try, even reluctantly. Reluctance is workable; refusal is not.
Probably not the right fit
- You need homework supervised every evening — a study group or after-school club serves that better.
- You are looking for someone to complete or correct assessment work. I will not do that.
- The difficulty is mainly about sleep, attendance or wellbeing. Start with the school, and I am glad to talk again afterwards.
- You want a guaranteed grade. No tutor can promise one honestly.
- Subjects outside maths and English. I would rather refer you than teach something adequately.
- Only a single session before an exam next week. Cramming is not what this is.
05 · Windows & fees
Term-time windows
Slots are held for the whole ten-week block, so what is open at the start of a term is usually what is open all term. Current state below.
- Monday 4:00pm · 5:15pm · 6:30pm Two open
- Tuesday 4:00pm · 5:15pm · 6:30pm Block full
- Wednesday 4:00pm · 5:15pm Online only
- Thursday 4:00pm · 5:15pm · 6:30pm Block full
- Saturday 8:30am · 10:00am · 11:30am One open
- Holidays Catch-up weeks by arrangement, mornings On request
06 · Questions parents ask
Before you enquire
How far do you travel for in-home sessions?
I keep to a radius that lets me reach a 4:00pm start without rushing, which in practice means the suburbs immediately around the ridge. If you are further out, an online slot is almost always the better arrangement — it also means a storm or a late bus does not cost you the session.
Is an online session really as good as in person?
For Years 7 and up, yes, with one condition: the student needs a quiet surface, paper and a pen, not just a screen. We use a shared board where I can see their working as they write it. For Years 4 to 6 I prefer in person, because reading over a shoulder matters more at that age.
What happens if we miss a session?
Tell me by the morning of the session and we reschedule within the same fortnight at no charge, subject to an open window. Later than that, the slot is charged, because it was held and cannot be refilled. Illness in exam weeks is always treated sensibly.
Can two siblings share one session to save money?
No. Two students in a room means both get a half-attention hour, and the quieter one usually loses. Siblings are booked as separate slots, and I will try to place them back to back on the same afternoon so you only make one trip.
Will you help with the homework that is due tomorrow?
We will work on the same topic, and often the same questions, so the homework becomes easier. What I will not do is dictate answers to be copied down, or touch assessment work that is graded. If the session becomes an answer service the student stops learning, and the next test shows it.
How much practice do you expect between sessions?
Fifteen to twenty minutes, two or three times a week, on exactly the thing we did together. Short and frequent beats an hour on Sunday night. In exam years it rises, but it is specified in the plan rather than left as a vague instruction to revise.
How will I know whether it is working?
A short written note every third session: what we covered, what has improved, what is still shaky, and what to watch for at home. It is deliberately plain. If three notes in a row show no movement, I will say so and we will change the approach or stop.
Can we stop mid-term if it is not right?
Yes. Give me two weeks’ notice and the remainder of the block is not invoiced. I would much rather end an arrangement that is not helping than keep a slot filled, and I will pass on anything useful I have learned about the student if you continue elsewhere.
07 · Enquire
Ask about a window
Tell me the year level, the subject and roughly when suits. I will reply with what is genuinely open and suggest a time for the consultation.
- Replies within two school days
- The consultation is free and has no obligation
- Nothing is payable until you have the written plan