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.

“Our child learnt exam techniques and hoe to study efficiently. She gained Level 1 with Excellence.
With the direct one on one tutoring Issey was able to concentrate fully on areas she lacked confidence in and areas she needed to improve on.”

Isabella’s parents Simon & Robyn, January 2016
Year 11, English, Maths & Science

“Hi Melanie,

Just to let you know Eloni had her Maths assessment on Monday and passed giving her NCEA Lv1.

She is really pleased with herself and found Sam’s tutoring invaluable.

We know it was an unconventional way for her to pass but Sam proved to be adaptable and flexible.

She is moving on to doing an Ara course next year.

Regards, Chris”

Eloni’s father Chris, November 2016
Year 12, Mathematics

“Josh moved from stats to calc, he had a lot of catching up to do.
The tutoring gave him a better chance at his exams, he seemed more confident about his ability.”

Josh’s father Russell, January 2016
Year 13, Calculus

“I have nothing but praise for the way this business is run. From the first contact (with Melanie I think) she was friendly, helpful and informative.

The tutor was excellent. My son kept going back which is a start! Plus his exam results were great.

I am very happy and would definitely recommend to family/friends as a positive, friendly and stress free experience. Some businesses are in your face with email/phone contact to introduce you to more of their opportunities but I found AHeadStart had none of that. With our busy lives these days it's annoying having lots of emails or phone calls etc, this was not the case at all.

Thank you to Melanie and her team at AHeadStart.

All the best and regards
Chris Peckham.”

Blake’s mother Chris, January 2016
Year 13, Physics

"It all seemed to go well! Anna appreciated the time taken to establish how she likes to learn. 
There was some homework set, and Anna has this completed already.
I think it's going to be a good thing for Anna's confidence and self belief.
Thank you."

Anna's mother Gillian, May 2025
Year 12, Mathematics & Physics

“Please thank the tutors very much from both Josh and myself. Josh has said they have been incredibly helpful over this past year, the difference between Merit and Excellence.

Thank you for your assistance over the past years with both Josh and Matt, it has been invaluable.

Kind Regards, Cate”

Josh’s mother Cate, November 2016
Year 13, Calculus & Statistics

“I can't thank Joe enough for all he has done with George! We are happy to see that he has regained his confidence with Joe's help. I am sure it has not been easy to get a 9 year old to want to do an hour’s maths work after school but he has done an amazing job at making it fun and interesting. I am sure George will miss seeing him on Thursdays.”

George’s mother Gwynneth, September 2015
Year 4, Mathematics

"Holly is enjoying her maths lessons with James and has found them really helpful, she got a merit pass for her last internal which was a fantastic result. Having the extra help has helped her confidence so that she has a better attitude to maths."

Holly’s mother Bernadette, July 2013
Year 11, Mathematics

“I contacted AHeadStart to get some extra support for my son about a month prior to NCEA exams. He is a capable student but finds some aspects of English difficult. In 4 or 5 sessions he worked alongside Paula and gained valuable knowledge about completing English exam papers. He was very pleased to get English endorsed with excellence and so were his parents!!.”

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

"Harper thoroughly enjoyed her session with Naomi. She was smiling when she came out and very excited to show me what she had learned.

Naomi did a great job!!"

Harper's mother Siobhan, June 2026
Year 8, Mathematics

“Thanks Mel,

The only feedback I have is that Josh told me yesterday “if Max tutored me every day I would be a genius!”

Cheers, Cate.”

Josh’s mother Cate, June 2016
Year 13, Calculus

“Hi Melanie… Thank you for this report. Excellent feedback from Anna, she is doing just great work with our Sarah, they get along really well. Anna’s ability to motivate Sarah is fabulous!

Best regards Bev”

Sarah’s mother Bev, February 2016
Year 11, Mathematics

“Jeremy is a great tutor for Lorna – it is a great match and she has done superbly this year, gaining full excellences in all standards. They relate very well, and I would like her to continue with him next year.”

Lorna’s mother Jane, September 2015
Year 11, Level 2 Mathematics

"[Samantha] was brilliant and I’m impressed. She had a lovely way of keeping him on track."

Benji's mother Rebecca, August 2026
Year 9 English

"Heya melanie itz bri n john uzt 2 giv me physicz tutorin. I wld lyk 2 say fanku so much 4 it realli helped me. I cldnt hav done it wifout aheadstart!"

Brianna, January 2010
Year 12, Level 2 Physics

“Hi Melanie

We really want to say thank you for your professional and friendly service. The tuition has certainly helped Benjamin to achieve better in Physics and Maths. He really does struggle with his learning and we were encouraging him to tackle these tricky subjects to allow him to achieve in these UE subjects.

Please pass onto James that he has been amazing and Benjamin really enjoyed receiving tuition from him. He was very good at encouraging and teaching Ben at Ben's level of understanding.

Many thanks, Sarah”

Ben’s mother Sarah, November 2016
Year 12, Physics

"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

"Just wanted to say a big thank you to Laura for all her help with Ashleigh. She has finished all her English assignments and achieved with Merit. Ashleigh is thrilled as she was convinced she would fail English this year."

Ashleigh’s mother Jacqui, September 2013
Year 12 English

“Ben gained confidence in his ability to learn not just the required maths but some more challenging sums and instead of feeling overwhelmed doing any mathematics began to enjoy this subject, the first time in his whole life."

Ben’s mother Nikhola, January 2014
Year 11, Mathematics

“AHeadStart tutoring was great for my son as he did not have the confidence to ask questions in class, whereas with individual tutoring he could go over what he did not understand and gained confidence.

Thanks for your great service which we have recommended to others.”

Harry’s mother Judith, January 2016
Year 11, Science

"My goal was to pass. We met and went through the questions one by one. It was such an exhausting lesson. But it was really worth it, because I really couldn't believe it when I learnt that my overall mark was C+ "a clear pass". So I got in contact with AHeadStart, and Melanie "my tutor" had helped me to acquire these maths basics, which by the way were very essential for other subjects too."

Khalid, December 2008
Level 100 Statistics

"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

"It’s nice to know that our son can go to AHeadStart and leave having learnt the things he somehow missed in class."

Lyndon’s mother Marian, December 2009
  Year 10 Maths & Science

"Many thanks for Jackson's report on George's progress. We have been so impressed with Jackson - he certainly packs a lot into an hour! George has found him very easy to relate to."

George’s mother Judith, October 2014
Year 12, Biology, Chemistry & Mathematics

"Overview an excellent relaxed approach which should boost any student's learning. Thankyou for coming to our house and discussing this material with her ... see you next year. "

Amuri’s mother Jenny, December 2009
Year 12, Level 2 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.