Call us today: 021 156 9281

 

Melanie Coker small.jpg"Hi, I'm Melanie Coker, the  founder and director of AHeadStart Ltd. Tutoring from AHeadStart provides students with the tools to achieve their best, no matter what level they are at.

Starting from five tutors in 2009, AHeadStart now has more than 40 tutors in Christchurch. Over 4,000 students have so far benefitted from our tuition. So many have gone on to achieve degrees they would never have believed possible while at school. Tuition with AHeadStart has opened their minds to the possibilities, altered their dreams for the better and ultimately changed their lives.

I will personally guide each student through the start of their tutoring journey, and make sure they have the best tutor to suit their needs. I give you my personal guarantee."

 

Why AHeadStart Tuition?

  • Personalised one-on-one tutoring in Christchurch - one-on-one or in small groups
  • Convenient Christchurch locations - in person at a local library or in your own home
  • Tuition for all levels - primary (literacy and numeracy), secondary (NCEA, Cambridge and IB) and adult students
  • Expert tutors - high achieving, excellent communicators with a passion for learning
  • Multiple subjects - our tutors can assist students with several subjects within each tutorial
  • Choice of tuition plans - select your desired level of guidance, including progress reports
  • Online tutoring - available all across New Zealand
  • Great value - from $63 per hour for a one-on-one tutorial in person
  • Payment options - pay per tutorial, or in bulk for a 10% discount
  • No fixed term - choose how many tutorials you need to achieve your goals

Contact us for a FREE consultation

 

PERSONALISED ONE-ON-ONE TUITION

Individually customised tutorials match each student's own unique needs

Personalised


Our initial assessment and tailored lessons allows students to be taught more effectively, in a way that meets their own specific requirements.

One-on-one


Individual tuition benefits students as they focus better, increase their confidence and learn more.
 

Expert Tutors


We guide students in their studies and help them develop better study skills, so they perform their best in exams and assessments.

“Thank you Melanie.

Alex found both James and Bridget very, very helpful. They made a real effort to get him enthusiastic about some of his tougher subjects again!!

Regards and thanks for the wonderful service you offer. :-)

Lois”

Alex’s mother Lois, November 2016
Year 13, Biology, Calculus, Chemistry & English

“We wanted to let you know that Alice received her IB results this week, which included a very pleasing 6 out of a possible 7 for Physics, a subject that she was struggling with earlier in the course and which in Year 12 her teacher thought she might only achieve a 4 or possibly 5 in. Please would you forward this to Hamish as we promised to let him know how she got on.

Alice would be the first to say how much she owed to Hamish's support and guidance in their weekly sessions so thank you very much for finding such an excellent tutor for her, we are convinced it made the crucial difference in her understanding. If Hamish ever needs a testimonial from the parents' point of view we would be very happy to provide one.”

Alice’s mother Jane, January 2015
Year 13, IB Physics

"Wish Laura well for us. She has been a wonderful guide for the last two years with Joe. She’s extended him and backed his thinking; teaching him how to get his ideas down in a constructive, lucid way. All the best with AHeadStart it has certainly has been fantastic for our boys."

Joe’s mother Sally, December 2014
Year 13, English

“Jake gained a better understanding of the physics subjects he concentrated on and it supported him to a merit grade in a standard he was not sure he would pass!”

Jake’s mother, January 2016
Year 13, Physics

"It was lovely to meet Isabella today at UC library.
Sota told me afterwards that Isabella was very helpful, honest and understanding. He is happy to continue his lesson with Isabella.
Thank you."

Sota's guardian Mari, March 2025
Year 13, Biology

"Nick has done extremely well. He failed his last Eco exams. This time he got excellent for one paper and merit for the other two!!! What an amazing improvement. Please pass this on to Sarah."

Nick’s mother Kim, November 2011
Year 11, Level 1 Economics

“We are really thrilled with the progress Jack is continuing to make and Anna's enthusiasm for Jack’s learning. We are keen to continue long term.”

Jack’s mother Janet, August 2015
Year 7, Mathematics

"Many thanks for this. He is really enjoying the tutorials and is obviously benefitting from them. I really appreciate your help."

Markus' mother Sarah, June 2024
Year 12, Biology & Physics

"Not only has my Max found your Max very helpful with his maths learning, but he has also enjoyed his company, taken a tutorial at the University and been inspired to follow in Max’s footsteps and aim to do a degree in Computer Science! A direction was what Max needed most of all so now he has a reason to try to do well in his exams."

Max’s mother Caroline, October 2014
Year 12, Mathematics

“Thank you so much for teaching me this year. I have especially really appreciated you giving up your time in the last week to fit in the extra lessons. It has really helped to have someone guide me through NCEA 2. I’m looking forward to Calculus and Chemistry next year. Thank you again.”

Emma, November 2012
Year 12, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics

“Hi Melanie

Thanks for your follow up. Ferg was very happy with his tutorial.  In fact he discussed it all the way home in the car.  Then I was allowed to read what he had done, and look at the work he had done at school.  (A first!!)

He knows he’s got the ideas, just getting them underway is his challenge (and then of course the proofreading, tenses etc.)  But as I have tried explaining to him a hundred times, that can all be done at a different time

The big thing is he is motivated, so really wants to do well.  So, yes, I would say the first tutorial was a success.  He was happy with Brooke and how she related to/helped him

Cheers Paula.”

Fergus’ mother Paula, June 2016
Year 11, English & Mathematics

 

"Lauralee and I would also very much like to thank you for your wonderful tuition at the end of last year. Lauralee attained an Excellence in Graphs and a Merit in Algebra, which absolutely thrilled her!! This was after the teacher at school suggested she should not take Maths in Year 12 due to her poor marks during the year! We have so much to thank you for! "

Lauralee’s mother Lisa, January 2012
Year 11, Level 1 Mathematics

"Rob has gained Uni entrance and also Level 3 too so we are totally thrilled... he is incredibly pleased. He gained 17 credits in biology and still avoided the DNA paper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would you thank Adam for me please and let him know...and a huge thank you to you too..."

Rob’s mother Edwina, January 2011
Year 13, Level 3 Biology

"Just wanted to thank you again for the tuition from Max.

Alex passed his algebra test with merit and achieved everything else. Alex resulted in 111 credits and merit endorsement. A great relief and nice surprise.

Please pass this on to Max with our thanks and appreciation."

Alex’s mother Sandra, January 2014
Year 11, Mathematics & Science

"Nye is loving both tutors. James, his physics/math one he is super impressed with apparently he uses a white board and Nye said it is great!
Daisy was giving him some awesome advice on uni as well so I really appreciate these amazingly clever young people! 
Thank you!"

Nye's mother Sara, April 2024
Year 13, English, History, Physics, Statistics

"My only comment on Lily’s tuition would be how much Lily has enjoyed the sessions, and how much it has helped her get through the year on a subject she wasn’t enjoying much. Stuti has done a great job.
Best, Neil."

Lily's father Neil, September 2025
Year 13 Statistics

"Charlie thought Finlay was really helpful, and made things easier to understand. So things are looking good for moving forward. Thanks for making a good match!"

Charlie's mother Helen, June 2026
Year 11, Mathematics & Science

“Tuition for my daughter helped her so much, it was the best decision we made for her in helping her achieve her goals.

Going from home-schooling to suddenly gaining credits for Level 1 and Level 2 was hard, the work load increased and gave her quite the shock. She was very determined though and with the help of her tutors she not only went from struggling in English and Maths but to succeeding in every internal and external she did.

Her tutors were just amazing, they helped her have confidence in what they taught her but most of all they supported her every step of the way giving her an understanding and skills to work through her work.

Was worth every cent especially when we saw for ourselves how much she was improving and how she would go from sitting there confused, asking us as parents for help to understand, to sitting there confidently working through her work knowing what she was doing. She went from getting 'achieved' to 'merit's and for English all 'excellences' for the past two years.

I also found tuition around exam times fantastic, helping her go over all the past exams helped her so much and I believe by doing so it helped her understand what was expected of her in her exams.”

Mikayla’s mother Leeann, January 2016
Year 12, English & Mathematics

“I wanted to ensure that I would pass the MCAT with at least a Merit, and I passed with excellence! Max explained things better than my teacher at school- in a different way, which helped me, and having 1-1 help was great for me.

Without the tutoring from Max, I don't think I would have achieved as well as I did.”

Lauren, January 2014
Year 11, Level 1 Mathematics

“Zac was very helpful with the graphs which was an area Ashleigh has been struggling with in Economics. Hopefully with Zac's support she will be able to successfully pass her second sitting of her economics internal open book exam before the end of the term.”

Ashleigh’s father Karl, June 2016
Year 12, Economics

“Hi Melanie,

We could not be happier with the service you and Hayden have provided for both Ella and Jacob.

I have, and will continue, to highly recommend your service to others.

We wish you and yours, a safe, happy and restful holiday season!

Kind regards, Adele”

Ella’s and Jacob’s mother Adele, December 2016
Year 12 & Year 13, Mathematics & Physics

"Thank you for your message. I believe it went well. He was proud of his folder and his writing page, and he has some homework to complete, which is a great incentive for him.

I will try not to push him too much and instead leave him with the responsibility of completing his tasks independently.Unfortunately, schoolwork is not something he is naturally very interested in, so having someone else giving him tasks and guidance might be the right motivation for Mattia.

Naomi seems like a lovely and confident girl, and I am sure she will support him well in his journey of improvement."

Mattia's mother Giuliana, May 2026
Year 7, English

"I was going to get in touch with you with feedback - she just loves it and thought Caroline was fantastic!! She was actually buzzing when she got into the car so thank you very much and please pass on a big thank you to Caroline."

Maddie's mother Vanessa, February 2025
Year 12, English

“We were thrilled to see that Eva got straight excellences (all internals and externals) for science for level one NCEA.”

Eva’s mother Frances, January 2015
Year 11, Science

“Alex is benefitting from the tutorials greatly – achieving positive results moving forward which is awesome.”

Alexandra’s mother Karen, July 2016
Year 13, Physics

TUITION FOR ALL LEVELS

Tutorials are available for primary, secondary and adult students

PRIMARY STUDENTS

Your child may require help to catch up in reading, writing or maths, gain confidence and build a strong foundation.

Or they may want extension in their favourite subject, or one not covered much at primary school, such as science or coding.

Whatever your child's goals, our primary school tutors will guide your child through every tutorial through regular assessment and lots of encouragement!

More About Primary Tuition >

SECONDARY STUDENTS

Secondary school can be a stressful time for students, especially with regular NCEA assessments throughout the year. Fitting study in around sports and other extracurricular activities can also be challenging.

Whether a student wants to gain enough credits to pass the year, or is aiming for a Merit or Excellence endorsement, our tutors can assist to make that goal a reality. And of course we can also help with Cambridge and International Baccalaureate.
 

 
More About Secondary Tuition >

ADULT STUDENTS

As an adult student it can often be difficult getting back into study, as it may have been years since you opened a text book. You may also be tacking an unfamiliar subject such as mathematics or science.

On top of this you may be studying part time or extramurally, so it may a challenge to fit study around your daily life. Our tutors can help you streamline the learning process, so you can get through your studies with confidence!
 

More About Adult Tuition >

MULTIPLE SUBJECTS

Our tutors can assist students with many subjects in each tutorial

  1. AHeadStart can assist students with 30 different subjects - Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science and Accounting tutoring, are just a small selection.
  2. Most AHeadStart tutors have strengths in multiple NCEA, Cambridge and International Baccalaureate® (IB) subjects, even including subjects as diverse as English, Mathematics & Science!
  3. Flexibility of tutorial structure means students can choose which subjects the cover in a lesson. This means tutors can prepare students as best as possible before each school assessment.
  4. Students benefit by having one tutor to cover several subjects and make the most out of every tutorial.

 

 

Accounting

Secondary & Adult Tuition

English

Primary, Secondary & Adult Tuition

Mathematics

Primary, Secondary & Adult Tuition

Science

Primary, Secondary & Adult Tuition

OUR NUMBERS SAY IT ALL

Students

3,659+

 

Students have chosen AHeadStart

Tutors

40+

 

AHeadStart tutors to choose

Hours

60,702+

 

Hours of tuition provided

EXPERT TUTORS

Students choose their own tutor from a selection to match their specific needs

  1. Our team of Christchurch tutors are high achievers, excellent communicators and passionate about sharing their knowledge.
  2. Every tutor has personal experience of NCEA, Cambridge or IB at secondary school, and know what it takes to achieve success. Many tutors were Dux or Proxime Accessit, or involved in leadership positions such as Head Boy or Head Girl.
  3. Our tutors are selected via a very thorough interview process. All tutors are screened by the NZ Police prior to being placed with students.

 

TUITION PLANS

Students select a tuition plan to match their goals and level of motivation

ONE-ON-ONE TUITION

PLATINUM PLAN

For students who lack motivation and need guidance with their studies. Includes weekly homework and progress reports every 5 tutorials.

More Details

GOLD PLAN

For self-motivated students who take charge of their own learning and have questions about their school work.
 

More Details

GROUP TUITION

SILVER PLAN

For self-motivated students wanting personalised tuition in pairs.

Students need to have a sibling or friend they would like to have tuition with before choosing this plan.

More Details

GROUP PLAN

For self-motivated students who would like tuition in a small group.

Students need to have two siblings or friends they would like to have tuition with before choosing this plan.

More Details

TUITION FREQUENCY

Students choose how often they would like to see their tutor to match their needs

WEEKLY
 

  • Students have a regular weekly tutorial (or more) during the school terms.
  • Suits students who want consistent help throughout the year to stay on top of their schoolwork.

 

CASUAL
 

  • Students schedule tutorials as required, with no ongoing commitment.
  • Suits students who need help for a short period to catch up on missed work or assistance before assessments.
     

 

 

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Tuition at a local library or in your own home

Libraries

15+

Libraries where
AHeadStart has tutorials

Suburbs

70+

Suburbs where students
can be tutored at home

CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

A range of locations to suit your needs

  

City Libraries


Christchurch Public Libraries and the University of Canterbury provide a studious environment and inspire students to use these spaces in their own learning time.

We Can Come To You


Home tuition is available in Christchurch for those with busy schedules and offers a familiar, safe environment for the student to learn.