Here's some frequently asked questions from families seeking support with Wings Tuition that you might find helpful.

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How is Wings Tuition different to other tuition services?

Enrolling with Wings Tuition is a long term relationship. We don't do casual bookings or quick fixes.  We don't focus on grades, we focus on PROGRESS. Our students and families are typically with us for years, not months, and we become a part of your child's education journey working in partnership alongside their school and parents.  For many students and their parents,  Wings Tuition offers continuity in their lives during times of change and transition at school and home.  Over time, our tutors get to know your child's learning style and needs better than anyone. The regular routine of attending tuition, downloading their weekly struggles to the listening ear of their personal tutor and focusing on foundation skills of learning, literacy and numeracy is rewarding and reassuring. We celebrate the small wins and gains that may be overlooked by school and mentor students academically, socially and behaviourally.  

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How often should we attend tuition?

We may have Wings but we don’t perform miracles.  Think about it, your child is at school for an average of 25 – 30 hours a week.  If you are calling us, it is because something isn’t working for them at school and you feel they need more support or corrective instruction. Most of our students come to us around age 9 and have already formed a number of unproductive or unhelpful learning habits that are impacting their progress at school.  In many cases, these habits and behaviours are being reinforced by the conditions they are learning under at school. During tuition we are often working to correct unhelpful learning habits and retrain your child with new, more productive learning behaviours.  It takes time to do this.

 

1 session per week

In 60 minutes or less a week, your child’s tutor will be able to provide them with some structure and strategies that may help them feel more confident as they work towards their literacy or numeracy goals at school.

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2 sessions per week

Attending 2 sessions a week, either online, face to face or both allows your child’s tutor sufficient time to deliver a structured learning plan that  focuses on some specific and achievable goals for development in either literacy or numeracy during tuition.

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3 or more sessions per week

Attending 3 or more sessions a week of tuition ensures that our teachers have the time and scope to achieve measurable progress with your child in their literacy and numeracy goals.  The three conditions required for cognitive development -INTENSITY, EFFICIENCY and STRUCTURE will be met if your child is attending 3 or more sessions a week and you can expect authentic and lasting results.

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Who will be working with my child?

Our tutors are from a variety of backgrounds.  They may be a qualified teacher currently working in schools, teachers aides or university students.  All of our tutors undergo specialist training to be a Wings Specialist Tutor and complete ongoing professional development training each term. We regard all of our team as valued and highly competent team members.

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Will my child have the same tutor every week?

We work very hard to maintain consistency and routine at Wings Tuition and this means we will make every effort to ensure your child works with the same tutor each week from session to session.  If your child is attending more than one session a week and is working on multiple subject areas, we may match them with a different tutor for the second session each week who is a specialist in that subject.  So they may end up with two awesome tutors!   It's important to remember that life happens though, and sometimes your child's tutor isn't available due to illness or other circumstances beyond our control.  Our tutors are encouraged to know all of our students so that anyone of us can support your child.

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How do we pay for tuition?

Once you have completed an enrolment form, and we have agreed on your session bookings for the term we will provide your family with a term invoice.  Fees are payable in advance for the whole term and must be paid by the end of the first week of tuition.  Payments are made via Direct Deposit or online via Credit Card.

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Why must we pay the term fees upfront?

Terms fees are payable in advance of the term to ensure the quality and consistency of our service to your child.  Planning your child's learning program is a big job and we generally plan well in advance.

Paying fees in advance of the term means we can guarantee our specially trained, quality staff a full term of work which helps them love their job too.  Paying fees in advance is also a demonstration of your commitment to the process of learning for your child.  We do not offer quick fixes at Wings Tuition.  It takes time, effort and expertise to effect authentic and lasting improvements for students.  So we need to know that you're committed for at least a term of tuition.  Payment plans can be negotiated for a limited number of families.

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How do I know what you are doing in tuition sessions?

Whether your child is attending online or face to face sessions, you will receive an email after each tuition session your child attends with a brief overview of the content covered and how your child engaged in the session. Online students have every session recorded and sent to parents to view after the session. 

In addition, all of our face to face students have a Tuition Logbook in which their attendance, lesson plans and tutor notes are recorded.  This Logbook is sent home at the end of the term complete with an end of term "Wrap Up" and reflection on progress.  Student's work is completed neatly and in an organised systems in literacy and numeracy books in pencil on paper.  We also update parents regularly with photographs of work samples via text message or email.

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What do I do if I don't feel like my child isn't progressing through tuition?

Talk to us.  We will discuss what road blocks or behaviours may be limiting your child's progress and can tweak their learning program to accommodate.  Like anything, if it doesn't work for you and you're not getting bang for  your buck...stop. We have a record of great success and we are confident in meeting the needs of your child.

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Will you provide make-up lessons if we miss a session?

We know...life happens and sometimes you just can't make it to tuition for a number of reasons.  We provide a schedule of bookings to your family at the start of every school term which we need you to cross check and confirm against your school and family calendars. Our tutors are then rostered on to work on the assumption that your child will be there for their scheduled sessions.  We prepare lessons in advance of your child's session and we want them to appreciate the importance of showing up and committing to tuition every week, even if they are a little tired and reluctant.  Tuition is a lot like going to the gym...the idea of it is much harder than the reality and you feel a great sense of accomplishment when it's all over. 

While we are unable to provide refunds for missed lessons, if you are able to give us 12 hours notice, we will offer you one "free pass" each term for a make-up lesson.    If your child becomes ill or is unable to complete a term of tuition you have paid for in advance, speak to our director who may be able to apply a credit to your account for the next term of tuition.

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Are lesson bookings flexible?  Can I change the time if our circumstances change?

Once you have identified what days and times you would like your child to attend tuition and this has been confirmed, a tuition schedule will be sent to you along with your invoice for the term.  If you need to make a change to the day and time of tuition during the term, we will allow one free change to the day and time if we have vacancies available.  Should you then require another change, an administrative fee of $45 will be charged to all subsequent changes. ​

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Will you come to our home to tutor?

We do not visit private homes to tutor students. Instead, if you are unable to come to us, we offer online tuition.  

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My child is in senior school, can you support them?

Currently, the Wings Tuition team specialise in supporting primary and middle school students.  Our focus is on achieving progress in the foundation skills of literacy and numeracy; a highly specialised area.  We believe that by getting the foundations right, students are best equipped to meet the challenges of senior and tertiary education.  If you have a student who requires literacy intervention or support and is over 15 years of age, we will be able to help with vocational level literacy and numeracy support.

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My child is in mainly struggling with their school assignments, can you help with this?

This is not what we specialise in.  If your child is struggling with school assignments it is likely due to one or all of the following reasons:

• Your child lacks the foundation skills of literacy and numeracy to understand and complete the assignment independently

• The assignment is not scaffolded appropriately for your child

• The assignment is not scaffolded at all

• Your child hasn't been taught or doesn't know how to use the scaffolds provided

• The assignment is too difficult for your child

• Your child lacks the executive function skills to manage multi-step projects

• Your child is overwhelmed by multiple assignments and needs strategies for how to manage them.

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Completing a school assignment may deal with the immediate and urgent problem but it is not treating the underlying issues.  Rather than spending your valuable time and money on getting school projects finished (that probably should be getting done at school), we prefer to focus on the issues relating to foundation literacy, numeracy and executive skills acquisition that are limiting your child's capacity to complete assignments independently. 

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We would like you to provide our child with extra work for home too. Can you do this?

Online students may be allocated a short task of 5 - 15 minutes at the end of their tuition session.  We do not provide additional homework but we are always happen to share some ideas about how you might be able to encourage your child's development through home based chores, tasks and rehearsal drills.

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Will you talk to my child's school teacher about tuition?

We are always happy to engage in communication with your child's teachers about their learning program.  While classroom teachers are often very busy with their classroom workloads, we will make every attempt to contact them and share what we are working on during tuition sessions.  We also regularly collaborate with other specialists such as occupational therapists, speech therapists and educational psychologists.

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How will I know if my child is progressing?

There are many ways to identify whether you child is gaining benefits from their tuition.  Their grades at school are just one indicator, and not always the most accurate.  Here's some of the other key indicators of progress:

• Increased confidence and positivity towards school

• Improved independence and motivation as a learner

• Improved handwriting and book work

• Improvement in reading age/level

• They are asking more questions at school

• They are raising their hand more often in class

• They are engaging in conversations at school and about school more positively

• Teacher is providing more positive feedback about engagement and attitude.

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