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.

“Great tutoring service! Very easy to organise lessons with your tutor! I couldn't recommend more!
Thanks for all your help this year Anna!”

Ellie, January 2016
Year 12, Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics

"Just wanted to say how thrilled we are with Caitlin's tuition. In addition to the skills and knowledge she has helped Josh acquire she has given him a lot more confidence. We are very grateful to Caitlin and the service you provide."

Josh’s mother Lynnette, October 2013
Year 12, Biology & Chemistry

"I understand all of the subjects that I was struggling in alot better like algebra especially and number especially as we went through what I wasn't getting at a good pace so I could grasp it better. I also understand NCEA maths a bit better also as Mel explained to me what I generally needed in order to pass, which was good as I could then aim for getting those right. Getting an understanding in all if this helped me feel more confident in all areas of my maths not just the subjects that I was struggling in. I was in a relaxed environment which helps me learn better. Mel was also very patient with the things I didn't get."

Alice Cameron, December 2008
Year 12, Level 2 Mathematics

Thank you for the help over the past few years. [It] made things a lot easier."

Alex, December 2008
Year 13, Level 3 Biology & Statistics

"Thanks Melanie,

Imogen sits her maths exam tomorrow so hopefully all goes well.

Clara has been a great help and we appreciate all the work she has done with Imogen!

We will be in touch early next year to start up again.

Many thanks,
John"

Imogen's father John, November 2024
Year 11, Mathematics

"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

“Kira is absolutely fantastic. She’s by far the most amazing maths tutor I’ve met.”

Jason, August 2016
Entrance Test, Mathematics

“Hi Melanie,

Victoria went really well with Rebecca, she said she was really lovely and was a very good tutor. She said she thought Rebecca was going to be a great help.

Another outstanding tutor - I'm not sure how you do it!

Many thanks

Andrea.”

Victoria’s mother Andrea, July 2016
Year 12, Economics

“Thanks so much for accommodating William this term. Daniel has been wonderful and I would recommend him to anyone. He has been professional in every way, always on time, never missed a tutorial. His manner and demeanour where encouraging and firm. I feel William has benefited immensely and look forward to his NCEA L1 result. Thanks, we will be in touch next year."

William’s father Kevin, November 2013
Year 11, Mathematics

"Jack is lovely, polite and friendly. When they started Troy thought ‘oh no this is a bit advanced for me’, but Jack must have sensed that, reassessed and broke it down even further for Troy and they got into a really good rhythm. 

Troy feels very confident this will be beneficial to his learning, so everyone here is happy."

Troy's mother Leanne, June 2025
Year 11 Mathematics

"Ariana had a great 1st session tonight with Stuti and was very pleased and impressed with her tutoring skills as well."

Ariana's mother Sam March 2025
Year 13, Physics & Statistics

“I would like to thank our tutor profusely as Anna has had a fantastic relationship with her .Both Melanie and I have observed a great step forward with regard to Anna's learning skills and overall progress. In the past Anna often floundered and did not know how to move forward as there was always something new coming up. Very frustrating for her which ate away at her confidence. Now Anna appears to enjoy her subjects and doesn't cry shy of them or skirt round them. Her tutor has helped her so much to devise a plan, system, strategy that has made a massive difference in how she approaches things and tackled the question. Hopefully this year ( 2016) we can build on this together.
I am so proud of Anna and I thank Melanie sincerely.”

Anna’s mother, January 2016
Year 12, Biology & Mathematics

“All great feedback!! It was very helpful, he helped me to understand a concept that has been almost completely out of reach for about 2 and a half years. Will definitely be helpful, Many thanks.”

Alice, May 2014
Year 13, IB Physics

"Daisy's exams seem to have gone well so far. Helena has made a huge difference to her knowledge and confidence and Daisy has approached her learning and the exams with little anxiety."

Daisy’s mother Lorelei, November 2014
Year 11, Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics

"Just want to let you know Jed really enjoyed his tutorials with Max and believes they have made a real difference to his exam efforts, particularly in re-igniting belief in his science ability!
His motivation and attitude has improved and we are hopeful this will carry through into Yr 12.
Please pass our thanks onto Max and am sure we will be in touch next year."

Jed’s mother Lesley, November 2014
Year 11, Science

“AHeadStart provide friendly, helpful tutors who are well organized and passionate about the subjects they teach. They are quite flexible with times, and the thing that suited us the best is that they come to your home. The tuition they provided for our son was invaluable. Definitely value for money.”

Matthew’s mother Cate, January 2014
Year 11, Geography, Mathematics & Science

"A huge thanks to you Melanie and also to Katie and Jack for all their hard work in the tutorials for Tom this year.

He has improved so much and has gained confidence in his ability and approach to his subjects.

Wishing you all the best for a restful holiday period."

Tom's mother Katharine, November 2025
Year 12 English & Physics

"A very quick note to thank you and Jason for the great experience Campbell had with his first tutoring lesson. He was absolutely delighted with what was covered and the ease in which he grasped concepts previously misunderstood. I have not heard him as animated and enthusiastic as he was when we spoke last night for several years."

Campbell's mother Jill, July 2010
Year 13, Level 3 Mathematics with Calculus

“Robson has found the tutoring immensely helpful and Brooke both incredibly talented and supportive.

We will happily be recommending your company to others and haven been grateful for the overall professionalism.

Kind regards, Heather”

Robson’s mother Heather, November 2016
Year 11, English & Science

"I just want to say thank you so much for your help throughout the year. I passed the [medical imaging] course. Also, I received a phone call yesterday from a lady from CPIT she phoned me to say that I have won a maths award, I can't believe it! I get it next week and I won $250 with the certificate. I won it because they picked students who came in knowing nothing about maths then coming out with top marks, my final maths exam score was 80% which I was so happy with. And my statistic and math methods was at 80% as well, I honestly thought I was going to fail!"

Lea, December 2015
Pre-Health, Mathematics & Biology

"Please thank Jonathan from us. He has been a great tutor for Izzy.  A really good choice for her!! We are grateful for his kind teaching and his genuine understanding of her. He has had a big impact."

Izzy's mother Juliet, November 2025
Year 13 Calculus, Chemistry & Physics

"It went really well thank you, Isabella is lovely and the boys really enjoyed meeting her. 
They both seemed to work along well with her, I guess it will take a couple of sessions to get into the groove but both were happy with how they spent their time with her. 
Many thanks"

Will's and Ben's moher Sari, August 2025
Year 6&8 Mathematics

"Many thanks for your kind words Melanie.

Freddy seemed to think his physics went went.

Please pass on our thanks to Clara- Freddy thought she was great ��

Kind regards,
Jane"

Freddy's mother Jane, November 2024
Year 12, Mathematics & Physics

"Henry seems to be enjoying meeting up with Cameron and think that the match is a pretty good fit. I like the looks of the spreadsheets they are doing, especially the "changing modifiers" one, as this is what Henry tends to do in his writing (and his speech when he is describing an event/experience). Cameron said "it's all there, he just needs to slow down" which is exactly what his teachers are saying, so Cameron is working on some techniques to help him slow down and produce better quality work."

Henry’s mother Maree, August 2015
Year 5, English

"Hi Melanie,

Ihaia came out of the session pretty pleased.It sounds like Louie has managed to make the work easy to understand.

I 'm very happy we've had a great start. 

Thanks for checking in."

Ihaia's mother Rachael, July 2024
Year 6, English and 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.