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.

“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

"[I] have asked Gemma how her tutorial was and she said their session was good. They thought Helena was very smart (!) and she was able to help them understand their class work. All good for next Monday again."

Gemma’s mother Kathy, August 2014
Year 10, Mathematics

“Thanks to you and Sean for the very comprehensive report- we are so pleased with his progress.  George really likes Sean and responds well to his style of teaching.

George said to me yesterday that he now enjoys maths which is great and a big change from before beginning Sean's tutorials.”

George’s mother Justine, July 2015
Year 7, Mathematics

“Samuel came away with excellence in both subjects. He may have achieved this by himself in maths, however I believe your tuition in Science made a big difference. This is one of the weaker faculty’s at Kaiapoi and the extra tuition meant all areas of the syllabus were covered."

Samuel’s mother Jasmine, January 2014
Year 11, Mathematics & Science

"Maya came back pleased from her tutorial with Alicia.
Though Maya was a bit apprehensive going, Alicia made her feel comfortable. Alicia's explanations were clear, and the help provided was non judgemental. 
So thank you for accomodating Maya's busy schedule."

Maya's father Jean, August 2026
Year 13 Physics

“Dawn said she had a very good experience & Aaron is a very good teacher. She got excellence for her NCEA English & Classics.
​I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for guiding her in her English subject.”

Dawn’s mother Doreen, January 2016
Year 13, English

"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

"If left to his own devices, I am not sure our son would have achieved such great results. Melanie provided great resources and tuition, and also helped him to believe that he could do it. "

Kieran’s mother Marian, December 2009
Year 12, Level 2 Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics

"Thanks so much Melanie.  Really appreciate all your support to ensure that Beau was able to access tutoring over the holidays. 
I will certainly be recommending you to my friends and colleagues, and calling on your services again to support my other children if the need arises.
Please thank Courtney for her wonderful work and patience with Beau."

Beau's mother Kelly, January 2025
Year 11, Mathematics

"The feedback which I have received from my student has been extremely positive. He had Jason as a Maths Teacher, and I know that the one on one tution made all the difference to the confidence of my student. I would definitely recommend the agency they are easy to contact and very helpful. He will be using the services of your agency again in 2010. I am the guardian of this young man, and I know that from his comments he is extremely satisfied."

Paht’s guardian Margaret, December 2009
Year 12 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

"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

“Sean has been outstanding, as always, and Tom has had fantastic marks this year, graduating middle school with a Distinction, Sean has been instrumental in this.  He has also been wonderful with Ethan, who can be a challenging boy at times!

I hope you have a lovely Christmas, and thank you to you and Sean for all your support this year.

Best wishes, Jo”

Ethan’s and Tom’s mother Jo, December 2016
Year 6 & Year 10, Mathematics & Science

“We tried Numberworks when the children were younger. I think the total one on one AHeadStart tutoring was better for our Catherine.”

Catherine’s mother Vivienne, January 2014
Year 12, Biology, Chemistry & Mathematics

“I felt the help Anna received was invaluable and has made a positive contribution to her general development in both maturity , conscious application of concepts grasped and reflective appraisal of own work. Extremely rewarding to see and of immense worth to Anna and her self-esteem.”

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

“Liyana love[s] working with Amelia. Amelia helps my daughter to understand better what she need to know. We appreciate it.”

Liyana’s father Hasan, November 2015
Year 11, Science

“George's first tutorial went great thank you very much! Joe was great. George really enjoyed it and even said it was fun!! James and I are very excited to know that George is getting such great help.”

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

“Hi Melanie,

Waitaha came home really positive about his first session with Jonathan, he said he was very good and it helped his understanding of the maths they covered today.

Thanks again, Sharon.”

Waitaha’s mother Sharon, June 2016
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

“Our daughter was able to learn at her own pace and to clarify points that needed clarification. It was a positive one on one learning environment. Amelia was a positive role model.
Her tuition helped her gain confidence in her own ability which translated into improved test results. She went up a stanine level during the year.”

Olivia’s mother Kerry, January 2016
Year 7, Mathematics

"Brittany said thank you, he was very helpful, and if she ever needed help with chemistry in the future she would definitely get in contact with AHeadStart Tuition."

Brittany’s mother Jennifer, May 2014
Year 12, 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 

"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

“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

“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

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.