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.

"Thanks for all the time you have spent with Nikki over the past few months. Nikki has so much more confidence now. Thanks for making such a huge difference."

Nikki’s mother Sharon, November 2010
Year 11, Chemistry & Physics

"Thanks so much for the progress report. I am thrilled with the progress Harry has made in this area. He seems much more confident when doing his English homework. He also can now see the benefits from this extra tuition with his results at school."

Harry’s mother Jane, May 2012
Year 11, Level 1 English

"Thank you so much for your wonderful service and your wonderful tutor’s Finlay & Lucy.  They have such a gift of sharing their knowledge and both have a knack of putting Ethan at ease.  After his sessions he would come home relaxed and confident, and he felt his exams went well.

Also, I hope you don’t mind but I have shared your details with some of the mum’s from St Andrew's College.

We appreciate your support."

Ethan's mother Janette, December 2025
Year 13 Calculus and Chemistry

"Hey thanks for checking in. Grace said Clara was lovely and she thinks they will get on well and that Clara will be a great help.
She had a giggle and said they are both quiet and a bit shy but that was nice. I'll keep you posted."

Grace's mother Alecia, May 2024
Year 11, Economics

"Chloe really enjoyed the tutoring lesson with Ciara today, she came back to the car very happy and excited to be working with Ciara.
Thank you to Ciara for providing Chloe with a bit of homework each week, it will keep Chloe's brain busy."

Chloe's mother Jenny, February 2025
Year 8, English

"Jack has been amazing!!!  I cannot speak more highly of him. 

Eddy appears to be reaching his goals. He has had a major shift in attitude since working with Jack. I have watched him apply himself in many different aspects of his life since having tutoring. Not only maths and physic. Eddy is more confident at tackling any study now. 

Thank you again, Jack is an asset to have. He has been patient, understanding and explains the questions in a language Eddy understands. He is always on time. Jack has kept Eddy motivated to study. I highly recommend him. Thank you again."

Eddy's mother Helen, October 2025
Year 12 Mathematics & Physics

"Isaac checked his results today and was delighted to see he had English endorsed with excellence. Two excellences and one merit so please pass on our thanks to Paula."

Isaac’s mother Jenny, January 2014
Year 11, English

"Thank you so much for the Progress Report. We are really pleased with Blake and the progress Spike is making. It’s been excellent timing for him at school to keep up with the work and make him aware of looking into the future."

Spike’s mother Di, October 2013
Year 11, English

"Rory found the 1:1 tuition very helpful. He was able to address specific issues very quickly. "

Rory’s mother Lee, December 2009
Year 11, Level 1 Mathematics & Science

“Good evening Melanie,

Things went really well. He was very good at explaining things. It was a massive help. I will be putting the time in on study at my end now and hope it sticks. 

I will be in touch soon to arrange another session.

Kind regards, Dan”

Daniel, July 2016
Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics

“Emma said her tutorial with Jackson was fantastic yesterday. Being dyslexic and a very visual learner his style of teaching really suited her. She came home feeling really positive.”

Emma’s mother Catriona, September 2015
Year 12, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics

“[I] know that you are doing a good job tutoring Georgia when she spent all of Saturday helping her friend study for Maths as [her friend] had got not achieved in the linear internal and they allowing resits as some classes had such high not achieved marks.

Thank you Melanie. I know G happy with her M in that assessment. And that has everything to do with you tutoring her.”

Georgia’s mother Louisa, June 2015
Year 11, Mathematics & Science

"I thought I would just flick you a short one to tell you that the lessons are great and going really well & Gemma is a fantastic tutor! Very patient and thorough, making sure I understand every step we go through. Thanks Briar (:"

Briar, May 2011
Year 12, Level 2 Mathematics & Physics

"My tutor was very helpful and went the extra mile by giving [me] lots of exam papers. I passed all my unit standards and internals - the ones I failed before I started tutoring. It was nice how everything was taught step by step. I had more understanding and wasn't rushed. Thanks."

Nastassja Schoeman, December 2008

Year 13, Level 3 Calculus

"Kia ora Melanie

Thank you so much to you and Ariana's tutors that she's had over the years. Hard to believe yesterday was her last session. 

We're both very proud of Ariana's commitment and effort towards her studies."

Ariana's mother Sam, November 2025
Year 13 Physics

“We would like to thank you and Jackson for the tuition provided over the last 2 years. You have provided a well organised, friendly and cost effective service and Jackson has been amazing with how well he works with Luke.

Regards, Glenda O'Neill”

Luke’s mother Glenda, October 2016
Year 13 Biology, Chemistry & Physics

"Thank you for sending Helena to us. She is an impressive young woman and has already helped Daisy so much. Daisy says she explains things clearly and has unravelled much confusion already. We are looking forward to seeing her every Sunday."

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

“Hi Melanie,

Zane said Cameron was really good.  He worked through his speech and claims that Cameron puts things in a way that he can actually understand.  He is really positive about the tutoring and is looking forward to Wednesday’s session.

Thank you so much for your help with this, it is much appreciated.

Regards, Storme.”

Zane’s mother Storme, October 2016
Year 11, 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

“Hi Melanie,

Thank you so much for sorting us out with such a great tutor. Mitchell is feeling very confident and I know he really rated Jeremy as a tutor - so please pass on our thanks to him.

Kind regards, Amanda Campbell”

Mitchell’s mother Amanda, November 2016
Year 12 Physics

"I wanted to say a special thank you to you and Antonio for helping Sarah out this past year and giving her the confidence to continue with French.  When we found you, she was struggling with motivation and almost ready to give up on trying to navigate her new world of correspondence learning.
But her results show she has done really well on her assignments. Of the three who started the year, she is the only remaining student sitting the Level 2 French exams at her high school today. I am so proud of her for sticking with it."

Sarah's mother Lisa, November 2024
Year 12, French

"Thanks for checking in. Ava was very happy with Emma’s tutoring. She was impressed and thinks the way Emma tutors will really work well for her."

Ava's father Blair, August 2024
Year 13, Chemistry

"We want to thank and acknowledge Ella's tutor Aimee, as she has been amazing while working with Ella and really helped her.
Thanks for all your help."

Ella's parents Regan and Emma, November 2025
Year 11 Mathematics & Science

"Thanks so much for reaching out, Ben said it was very helpful and Jack was a great teacher. I think it will be a good fit for him. 
Thanks again, we are stoked!"

Ben's mother Trudi, August 2026
Year 11 Mathematics

"Bruce is very happy with Antonio's tutorial. It's good to have someone got Es in his NCEA experience to teach him and give his advice. He thinks he's not only teaching, but giving him good advice to achieve Excellence level, which is beyond his expectation. Cheers."

Bruce's mother Carol, March 2024
Year 13, Statistics

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.