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.

"Daniel was great yesterday, I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot. He went out of his way to make sure I understood things and I thought his style of tutoring was really suited to me and my learning style. Thank you for all your help."

Kitty, March 2012
Year 13, Chemistry & Physics

"Thank you for teaching me this year. I have become much more confident in Maths and have even begun to enjoy it!"

Ellen, November 2010
Year 10, Mathematics

"Thank you so much for sending the report.
We’ve shared it with Sota’s parents in Japan as well.
It really gives a clear picture of how he’s been working on his tasks each time.

Sota often tells us how great Isabella is as a tutor.
We really appreciate her patience and the way she supports him.
We truly feel that Sota’s progress so far is thanks to her help.

He was also able to achieve in the recent NCEA internal exam.
As he now starts preparing for the external exams, we’d really appreciate your continued support in helping him work on his weaker areas.

Thank you."

Sota's guardian Mari, June 2025
Year 13 Biology

"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

“George did super well at his prize giving with a maths excellence certificate and overall award for science and we know a lot of that was thanks to Sean :)

Thanks, Justine.”

George’s mother Justine, January 2017
Year 8, Mathematics & Science

“I gained a lot of knowledge about chemistry, my grades were achieved at the start of the year and i ended up receiving excellence in all my internals. If it wasn't for AHeadStart I most likely would have barely passed level 2 chemistry.”

Matthew, January 2016
Year 12, Chemistry

"Sophie I'm sure has gained a good deal from her tutorials, even if just increased confidence in her abilities. Helena was a good match for her and very flexible with times etc."

Sophie’s mother Kirstie, November 2014
Year 11, Mathematics

"Rory was given a thorough assessment of the gaps he had in his NCEA subjects after our arrival from Australia in August. Tuition from AHeadStart allowed him to quickly catch up and give him the tools to do well in NCEA science and maths."

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

"Mikayla absolutely adored Laura and James, they were both so amazing and helped her so much. I know they really had to work hard in getting Mikayla up to scratch and without their help she would not have been able to get through this year, so I am incredibly grateful for all their hard work and for your service that you offer!"

Mikayla’s mother Leeann, November 2014
Year 11, English & Mathematics

“Thank you for all your support & help for Mikayla throughout the past 2 years, James was the most amazing Maths tutor & did wonders with Mikayla, I couldn’t speak more highly of your tutoring company and of James. And feel very blessed to have had the chance to discover who you were as it helped so, so, so much. Thanks again for everything.”

Mikayla’s mother Leeann, November 2015
Year 12, English & Mathematics

"Ciara seems like a smart young woman, and I think her and Harvey got on well, so looking good.
Thanks, Geoff"

Harvey's father Geoff, February 2025
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

"Thanks to Melanie & John for your very professional approach to tuition. You provide lots of information & resources which made the whole process easy & accessible. Thank you. "

Alice’s mother Robyn, December 2009
Year 12, Level 2 Physics

“Thank you for your excellent tutoring service and support of Ben over the past couple years.”

Ben’s mother Anya, November 2015
Year 13, Statistics

"We understand Louie is available again next year, so we’ll be in touch when the new school year commences in the new year.
We really appreciate Louie’s help throughout the year."

Hugo's mother Ali, November 2024
Year 11, Economics, English & History

“Callum has found his sessions very helpful and we are grateful to have been able to get this organized at such a late stage of the year so - a big thank you to you! We have found your service great."

Callum’s mother Sara, November 2013
Year 13 Calculus & Physics

“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

"Thank you for your report. I'm really pleased with Brits attitude to her tutoring. She's happy to come along and her latest results were a credit to your help and her focus on making the most of her tutoring."

Brittany’s mother Justine, March 2014
Year 11, Mathematics

“It was a great help to Grace. It gave her more confidence with exams and she passed her MCAT which she had been concerned previously that she may not. There were particular aspects also of the curriculum that were specifically letting her down in exams and she was able to get a greater understanding of these areas.”

Grace’s mother Pam, January 2016
Year 11, Mathematics

"We would just like to let you know that things went really well with Hannah’s first visit today. Lucy was really chuffed about how much she had learned and Hannah is a lovely girl and obviously very patient!

We are feeling very confident that this is the beginning of a huge improvement in Lucy’s understanding of maths and we are lucky to have someone like Hannah to help her."

Lucy’s mother Sarah, July 2012
Year 5, Mathematics

“Hello Melanie,

Thank you for your email and for the great tutorials you provide. I have improved a lot in the sciences because the extra help I received over the years. I had very excellent tutors, it was worth the price and I am happy I found AHeadStart.

Once again thank you!”

Ariam, January 2016
Year 13, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics

“Tuition with Hamish was fantastic - thank you. Sophia said he explained things really well and was able to answer her questions. She even came back enthusiastic and explained to us how you calculate the charge of elements in the periodic table! We would like to keep the Monday sessions with him.”

Sophia’s father Greg, October 2015
Year 11, Science

"Tutoring for Jaslyn is going very well and it’s a great fit.
I can see Jaslyn's confidence growing!"

Jaslyn's mother Trish, November 2024
Year 12, Physics

“The most helpful thing about tutoring is I learnt different techniques that I wasn't taught in school and that helped me to remember how to do something. Before I used AHeadStart I was failing all my tests, but this year my results have changed so much and I ended up passing NCEA with 104 credits.”

Nicole, January 2014
Year 12, Level 2 Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics

“[Tuition] allowed me to learn the different external topics again in my own pace and go through and focus on the concepts that needed more work which could not have be done in a classroom environment.
Melanie was able to clearly explain chemistry concepts so that it was easy to understand which meant that I was able to apply the newly learnt knowledge and concepts in the external.”

Amanda, January 2016
Year 13, Chemistry

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.