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Ability levels Our programs cater for students of all ability levels. We encourage students to see themselves as operating at one of these levels at any given time: Types of classes Our classes are organised so that students of the same age and ability level are doing the same subject together, such as a Year 9 Advanced maths class. Students focus on one of three areas at various times during a coaching session:
Our coaching programs provide expert instruction in the most important knowledge and skills in each subject. Students are first assessed to determine the starting point of the program. They are given individual attention in areas that they need so that a basic understanding is developed. Students are motivated to practise these and other skills until they are consolidated . Revision of these skills over a period of months and years will enable them to be mastered . Learning is maximised when students are calm, confident and concentrating on the task in front of them. A small group setting allows for the most effective learning. The skills and confidence students develop in the small class leads to independent learning and the willingness to ask questions and get full value from classes at school. By contrast, one-on-one tutoring can be a quite intense situation, especially if the tutor feels the need to talk and interrupt the student all the time. Sometimes students become dependent on their tutor, and are not able to perform well in the school and exam setting. If a child only performs well in a one-on-one setting, they will fail at school. Below is an outline of each program, sorted by year level. Pre-school This twenty-week program is offered in Terms 3 and 4 for children starting school the following year. The skills of phonemic awareness (sounds) and visual discrimination (letters and sight words) are learnt in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Children learn to read two-letter and three-letter words. The program includes writing, drawing and counting. Parents are very involved in this enjoyable program and with their children attend a forty-five-minute session each week. There are take-home activities. Reading Reading is the foundation of most learning at school. Children who cannot read well often have a very unhappy school life. This systematic and comprehensive remedial phonics program makes sure children can read well. It is suitable for all age groups from Kindergarten through to Year 6, and is also used for teenagers and adults. Students learn that there are two types of words: Phonic words can be sounded out quickly and accurately from left to right. Most words in the English language follow rules. Even the word “boat” follows the rule “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.” At a more advanced level, the word “hop” is given a “double p” when changed to “hopping” because a vowel followed by a double consonant makes a short sound, unlike the long vowel sound in the word “hoping”. Students learn the rules in a set order, as they are ready. Sight words consist of words that can not be sounded out such as “was” and “mother”, as well as high frequency words such as “and”. Sight words make up about two-thirds of the words children read, so if they are known well the reading process becomes much faster. Students can move from the Reading program into the English program once their basic reading skills are up to a good level. Primary Programs Years 2 to 6 Primary Mathematics This program builds confidence and skill in all number operations, space and measurement. There is a strong emphasis on the basic number facts including the times tables. Students learn to solve routine problems as well as those of a more complicated nature. A solid foundation in maths is very important before starting high school. Primary English Students with good mechanical reading skills can join this program, which covers reading comprehension and written expression, grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary development. Competence in all these areas is critical for success in high school. Selective Schools Program Students sitting the Selective Schools Test, in March of Year 6, and other scholarship exams, should enrol in the Advanced Primary English and Maths programs when they are in Year 5. Students develop and maintain incredible speed and accuracy in difficult work, especially problem solving in mathematics and general ability. The program also covers reading comprehension and written expression of a variety of sophisticated text types. Exam techniques are also developed. Please be aware that half of the marks for Selective School entry are provided by the primary school. Students therefore need to be working at an advanced level right through their primary school years. Junior Secondary — Years 7 to 10 Research has found a strong link between students' performance in Year 9 and their results in the HSC. It makes sense that students who are doing well at the junior secondary level will be full of confidence as learners, and will be developing good study habits. Many students of this age are unsure of the future direction of their study and career. It is important that they do well in as many subjects as possible at this level. This allows them to have a good range of subjects to choose from for Years 11 and 12. Intermediate classes are for students working towards or working at their year level. Advanced classes are for students working beyond their year level. Junior Secondary Maths This program covers all number operations, fractions, decimals and percentages, geometry, algebra and equations. Non-calculator maths makes up 25% of the School Certificate exam. Research has shown that the students who perform at the highest levels in the HSC mathematics courses are those with well-developed numeracy skills. We teach our students to use calculators only when appropriate. Junior Secondary English This program covers reading comprehension and written expression of a wide range of text types such as discussion, exposition, information report, media texts and poetry. Grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure are covered in depth. The good essay writing skills students develop are helpful across a range of subjects. Junior Secondary Science This program covers the core topics of each science course in an interactive manner that allows students to develop good understanding of material before they try to memorise it. Senior Secondary Maths Years 11-12 These programs in the General, Mathematics and Extension 1 courses are designed to maximise marks for our students in their exams. We do this by clearing up any misunderstandings they have with their current topics, showing the most effective ways of setting out solutions, and organising revision of earlier topics. Practice exams allow students to check their progress and then fine-tune their studies. Senior Secondary English Years 11-12 These programs in the Standard and Advanced courses develop reading and writing skills in a range of text forms, which is useful across a number of subjects that require essay writing. Students focus on the texts they are studying at their school, as well as the common Area of Study. Students learn to analyse texts at a very sophisticated level. There is a lot of jargon in the senior English courses. We help students to incorporate this jargon and all the other important devices in their written responses. This allows them to score maximum marks. Senior Secondary Physics Chemistry Biology Years 11-12 These HSC coaching programs allow students to develop their understanding of their current topics while revising earlier topics. Learning how to use their knowledge to the best advantage under examination conditions is an integral part of these courses. Study skills We run special workshops and seminars for students in goal setting, motivation, time management, memory techniques, speed reading, practice exams and exam techniques. Essay Writing Essay Skills workshops are run periodically. They are suitable for most High school students.
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Adult Programs Coaching may be available on request in areas such as essay writing, research skills, statistics, exam preparation and basic reading and writing skills.
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