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Index to Parent Information
 Tutoring At Home
Many parents are opting for in-home tuition instead of sending their children to a coaching college or tutoring centre. They feel more comfortable having their children tutored in a familiar and safe environment and don't have to waste time in peak hour driving their children to and from another location.
Smarts Home Tutoring can assist parents in protecting their children and to maximise the benefits from in-home tuition by ensuring its tutors have been put through a stringent selection process before they step foot into a student's home.
The Smarts Home Tutoring selection process for its tutors prior to allocating students, includes:
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Interviewing its tutors;
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Assessing their qualifications and prior tutoring experience;
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Police Checked and have Working with Children Check Card in Victoria and Queensland or have had a Working with Children background Check in New South Wales;
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Conducting reference checks with at least 2 professional referees.
The Working with Children (WWC) Check helps to protect children under the age of 18 from sexual or physical harm by checking a person's criminal history for serious sexual, violence or drug offences and findings from professional disciplinary bodies. While many organisations already check those people who work with children, some do not. The introduction of the WWC Check creates a mandatory minimum checking standard across Victoria.
The WWC Check aims to prevent those people in our community who are a risk to children from working with children, either in paid employment or on a volunteer basis. It is vital that as a community, we establish effective mechanisms to promote the safety and protection of children. The WWC Check is one more step towards achieving this.
Please note that there are no national standards regarding police checks and clearances. Each State and Territory has their own procedures.
Working with Children Check (NSW)
Mandatory background checks are carried out on all tutors through the Working With Children Check. Under the Commission for Children and Young People Act 1998 it is an offence for a prohibited person to apply for or otherwise attempt to obtain, undertake or remain in child related employment.
Smarts Home Tutoring requests all of its tutors in NSW to submit a Prohibited Employment Declaration together with a Background Check Consent form. Background checks are conducted by the NSW Commission for Children and Young People.
Under Section 1 of the Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998, Smarts Home Tutoring is prohibited from engaging or employing a tutor who has been rejected by the screening process. Severe penalties are imposed for non-compliance.
Working with Children Check - Blue Card (QLD)
Under Queensland law, certain people working with children under 18 must undergo employment screening - known as the Working with Children Check. This is a detailed national check of a person’s criminal history, including any charges or convictions. The check is conducted by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian to determine whether a person is eligible for a "Blue Card".
Approved teachers are not required to hold a blue card when undertaking the duties of a teacher in a school. Criminal history checks remain a requirement as part of the five-yearly renewal of teacher registration process. Although approved teachers do not need a blue card for their work in schools, they may need it for other child-related work, whether paid or voluntary.
Registered teachers who wish to participate in other child-related activities, either as a paid employee or as a volunteer, are still required to obtain a " Blue Card" from the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian. Registered teachers teaching in community kindergartens are also still required to hold a "Blue Card".
Working with Children Check - (WA)
The Working with Children Check (WWC Check) is a compulsory criminal check for many people who work with children under the age of 18 in WA. It is administered by the Working with Children Screening Unit (WWCSU), Department for Child Protection.
Those that have successfully undergone the check will receive an Assessment Notice in the form of a WWC Card which enables them to be in child-related work.
The WWC Check is different to the National Police Check, and employees or volunteers may be required to get both. This is because the WWC Check is only concerned with offences that could indicate a child may be harmed.
Tutoring Preparation for Students & Parents
A student receiving tutoring for the first time may feel nervous or apprehensive about meeting a tutor for the first time and may be going through a series of mixed feelings, which is not ideal preparation but in fact quite natural especially in younger children.
Parents can play a big part in removing such nerves or appeasing any fears prior to the first meeting by communicating such fears and expectations with their children. Its important to point out to children that students at all levels receive tutoring through their schooling lives, whether in Prep or at an adult age.
Children need to focus on the positives of the experience, which will be the improved confidence to be able to put their hand up in class and answer questions without fear or feeling less than intelligent. Greater confidence at home and in class will remove a certain level of anxiety and stress that exists when a problem is not being addressed or continues to worsen.
Students need to have with them all necessary materials, such as textbooks, relevant notes, any recent tests, pens and a notebook.
Tutoring should NOT take place in the student’s bedroom. Tutoring should take place in an open area where the parent/caregiver can view and hear the learning process. Generally, the dining area or at the kitchen table is appropriate as they are often open areas and in view of a parent/guardian.
It is advisable for tutor and student to study in a quiet area of the home away from siblings that may inadvertently disrupt the student’s concentration. However it is equally important for tuition to occur whilst in the presence of parent/caregiver and tuition is under no circumstances to occur in a student’s home unless the parent/caregiver is present at the time of tuition.
Student Assessment Procedures
Smarts Home Tutoring will initially determine the reasons or concerns as to why a tutor has been initially requested for a particular student. It's important to establish who has made the decision/recommendation for tutoring and why, prior to an assessment with the student.
Students are initially assessed during the first consultation with their allocated tutor. Each tutor is trained to ask each student certain questions that will allow them to establish a student profile, drawing on the student’s strengths and weaknesses specific to the subject or topic they require assistance with. This includes assessment of their learning abilities, attitudes, study or test results and study patterns at home and in the class room.
Student assessment involves identifying where students have reached in their learning with a subject, test or tests, what skills and knowledge are being currently established and what skills and knowledge have not yet been reached, based on analysis of the test results or feedback from the student’s teacher.
The Tutor identifies the areas of the curriculum to be focused on and establishes a learning plan over a pre-set time frame from which to benchmark the student’s progress toward improvement. Please note that the first consultation requiring student assessment is typically one hour duration and charged for at the standard hourly rate regardless of year level.
Reporting Method & Frequency
The convenience of in home tutoring allows our tutors to provide verbal feedback of student progress to the respective parent/caregiver at the conclusion of each lesson in many instances.
Smarts tutors are also required to report their student feedback via the Smarts Administration database so that regular student feedback can be collected, reviewed and if required, discussed with parents and/or tutors concerned.
A formal written report can also be produced (at parents’ request) at the conclusion of a term for those students that have regular weekly tuition for at least one full term. A copy of this report is provided by the tutor to the parent/caregiver and a copy is held on file by Smarts Home Tutoring for record purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A whole section has been dedicated to answering many of your questions and concerns in relation to Smarts Home Tutoring's commitment to delivering quality tutoring services. Please click this link to go to our FAQ page.
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