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.

"The tutors are doing a great job with helping students to learn new study techniques."

Neil Viegas, December 2009
Year 11, Level 2 Mathematics

“I just want to personally say thank you for everything. I have now finished school and heading to my three year course this February. Not only did AHeadStart help me achieve in the subjects I was struggling in it helped me achieve great results in Level 1 and Level 2. I will never forget your service or what your tutors did for me and if I ever hear of anyone looking for a tutor I will highly recommend your service as I believe it is the best service ever!! Thank you!”

Mikayla, January 2016
Year 12, English & Mathematics

“Thanks Melanie, Jedd has done very well with English this year and has enjoyed his tutoring with Blake and English at school - which is a huge achievement!

We are keen for Jedd to have English tutoring again next year so please put him on your list of students who want tutoring.”

Jedd’s mother Stephanie, November 2015
Year 10, English

"Anna was delightful! Madeline seemed relaxed with her, they appeared to be having fun whilst focusing and working hard together, so I am thrilled! There was lots of positive energy which Madeline thrives on as she is quite outgoing by nature. Thank you."

Madeline’s mother Louisa, July 2015
Year 10, Mathematics

"Alexandria has been an amazing tutor, and we are very grateful for her the help she has given Rose throughout the year. 

Enjoy the holidays season."

Rose's mother Gwynneth, November 2025
Year 12 Economics

"Indeg loved it! And thought Courtney was lovely! Indeg was so so nervous beforehand but was buzzing after!
Thank you"

Indeg's mother Sara, May 2024
Year 10, Cambridge English, Mathematics & Science

“AHeadStart tuition is beneficial to both the student and the parents. Regular focused tuition throughout the year enabled my dyslexic son to approach is NCEA level 3 exams in a calm, confident and organised manner. The one on one verbal tuition suits my son far better than revising by reading. I felt comfortable that George was receiving the best learning support we could provide him with. With the help of AHeadStart tutor, Jackson, our son has passed NCEA level 3 with Excellence. Thanks!”

George’s mother Judith, January 2016
Year 13, Biology & Chemistry

“I am very pleased with Mathew’s progress and I know he feels the same. Aaron has definitely changed Mathew’s attitude towards English. I know Mathew feels more confident heading towards exam time with the confidence he has gained with Aaron. Thank you so much to Aaron.”

Mathew’s mother Andrea, October 2015
Year 11, English

“AHeadStart has been incredibly helpful and I definitely would have struggled in exams without the tuitions. AHeadStart overall is better that any of the other tutors I have attended in terms of learning and memorising, approach, time and location. I would recommend AHeadStart to my friends.”

Richard, January 2014
Year 12, Level 2 Biology, Chemistry & Physics

“Thanks so much for the tuition. His confidence has really improved and he now says he gets it, which is wonderful.”

Ben’s mother Sarah, November 2015
Year 11, Science

“I have been really impressed with the turnaround Jackson has achieved with Henry this year. He has done a fantastic job which I appreciate so very much. I hope that Jackson will be available again next year and Henry can continue tutorials with him.

I am very grateful for the service you provide as it has made a big difference for both Emma & Henry.”

Henry’s mother Tracey, November 2015
Year 10, English & Mathematics

“Hi Melanie

Adam & Tim really connected & as far as Adam is concerned the extra tutorials were absolutely worth it & all being well the mark he receives will prove it. He doesn't think he would have felt the way he does if it wasn't for Tim. He even bought him a large bar of chocolate to say "thanks"! I presume he'll let Tim know once he receives his mark.

Thanks again.

Cheers, Ade”

Adam’s mother Ade, November 2016
Year 12, Mathematics

"The time and money invested with AHeadStart this term has made a huge difference to my son's study skills, knowledge, understanding and confidence of the subjects he worked on with Melanie. We are sure he will gain hugely improved results from end of term 3 to NCEA externals, which would never had been possible without AHeadStart's help and have recommended them to others."

Jack’s mother Karen, December 2009
Year 11, Level 1 Physical Science

"Kia ora Melanie,

Thank you for following up. Neve really enjoyed her first session with Emma and found it so helpful. She is looking forward to next week. 

Thank you for providing such an excellent service!"

Neve's mother Mairin, March 2025
Year 12, Mathematics & Physics

"The kids' first lesson with Thomas went well. They said he is nice and fun.
They are looking forward to their lesson with him tomorrow."

Aida's & Jakob's mother Tara, October 2024
Year 4 & Year 6, English & Mathematics

"Megan was an amazing tutor. In the two sessions we covered a lot of ground.
I am very confident with referencing, essay writing and time management."

Karen, July 2025
Postgrad Nursing Research

“Reinforced basic concepts and showed how to answer exam questions.
He got the Calculus prize at end of year prize giving!”

Alex’s mother, January 2016
Year 13, Calculus

“The day I spoke to Melanie and set up tutoring for my daughter for Maths and English was the best decision we had made. Even though going through a tutoring service costs, it truly was worth every cent we paid.

We saw our daughter go from struggling and frustrated to confidently understanding what she was doing which in return achieved her passing Level 1 and Level 2 with absolute ease. Not only did she pass with more than enough credits she passed English both years with a Merit Endorsement.

Our aim was for our daughter to pass and achieve marks that she would be proud of and with the help of the amazing tutors that she had she accomplished all that she wanted to. Thank you AHeadStart for all of the services you offer, I would highly recommend this service to anyone!!”

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

"Hi Melanie, just thought I’d let you know how I went. I passed my exam which is great so I get to continue onto biochem now. Thank you so much for all your help!"

Olivia, July 2015
Human Nutrition, Chemistry

"Adele enjoyed it. Ciara was really good how she interacted with and went through things with Adele."

Adele's father Jim, May 2025
Year 11, Mathematics 

"Many thanks for your help and Katy got a biology result last week and she got Excellence!"

Katy’s mother Sue, July 2014
Year 13, Biology

"Olivia is happy with her English tutorials and very happy with her “merit” Speech internal result, as she has usually had “achieved” for speeches before now."

Olivia’s mother Sue, May 2015
Year 11, Level 1 English

"Olivia actually really enjoyed it. She has never had tutoring before. She has been taking French since yr 9 so that was something they had in common.
She was worried about arriving fatigued as she had been working hard on a physics internal last night. School and defensive driving course today before tutoring.
But she left feeling energised as she felt she was understanding the explanations Joran was giving.
She found out he also tutors stats which she is also taking. [It 's great] they able to cover different subjects if she gets to a point that she is more confident with physics."

Olivia's mother Fiona, October 2024
Year 13, Physics

"FYI - we are very pleased with Sam's progress. Considering she was planning not to continue with statistics, with tutoring she has grown in confidence and achieving. It has been good that there was some degree of flexibility and we relied on Sam to work things out with the tutor. I think this has helped her take responsibility & make sure she was getting what she needed."

Sam’s mother Kathryn, October 2013
Year 13, Statistics

"I am so happy to have had Paula working with Abbie today, she is awesome!  She had the session well worked out and kept Abbie involved and interested.

As you know I have been worried that Abbie is missing out on some basic foundation steps in maths and spelling.  I now feel reenergized (how's MY spelling?) to work with Abbie myself through the week following Paula’s' lead on the Wednesday.

So many thanks."

Abbie’s mother Pam, May 2013
Year 3, English & Mathematics

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.