About Virtuoso

What makes Virtuoso Tutoring different?

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How does Virtuoso’s service differ from other Tutoring companies?

How does Virtuoso’s service differ from individual freelance Tutors?

Why would I get my son/daughter tutored by a high school student as opposed to a teacher or someone with university qualifications?

How were the tutors chosen?

What does the training constitute?

What follow through does Virtuoso Tutoring provide after each tutorial?

What is the difference between Tutoring and Teaching?

How does Virtuoso’s service differ from other Tutoring companies?

Virtuoso’s tutorials are specifically focused on what today’s high school students need: help with NCEA and Cambridge. Since Virtuoso does not put students through a fixed prescribed course, our tutorials are more flexible and allow for the specific needs of the tutee to be focused on. This also allows them to learn at their own pace, only moving on when they have gained the knowledge and understanding to improve their marks in that particular area. Tutees take to the tutorials actual problems that they have come across in class or tests and our experienced Tutors help them to acquire the necessary skills to solve these. The tutoring is focused exactly on what students need to succeed at school.

Virtuoso Tutoring works in partnership with Westlake Girls High School. By working together, we believe that we can do a better job of educating the next generation. This is why tutorials are held conveniently on school grounds after school.

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How does Virtuoso’s service differ from individual freelance Tutors?

Virtuoso strives to provide the best possible tutoring service for the tutee. To ensure that this demanding standard is met, Virtuoso trains intelligent employees, who are already successful students themselves. Virtuoso’s tutors are trained in tutoring skills until we are satisfied that they will perform with excellence. Since we have seventeen experienced tutors who cover fourteen different subjects and nearly ninety tutorials per week, we are able to meet the needs of our tutees. Also our Tutorial follow-up systems allow for the tutees' progress to be tracked as well as aiding them in studying and improving in their own time.

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Why would I get my son/daughter tutored by a high school student as opposed to a teacher or someone with university qualifications?

Virtuoso’s tutors are students from Years 12 and 13 (and a few first year university students) who have excelled in the subjects which they are tutoring. Since they have just recently been through the exact examination system that the tutee is going through now and achieved top marks, they know the tips, tricks and best ways to answer the questions asked and how to ultimately succeed at that particular academic qualification. While other Tutors may have advanced university qualifications and superior knowledge in their chosen fields they lack knowledge of the how NCEA and Cambridge work since they went through a different assessment system 10, 15, 20 years ago. If you have the knowledge, but do not answer the question in the way the examination board is looking for, then you are not going to be awarded the marks. Our Tutors know what the markers are looking for as well as having the necessary content knowledge of the subject in question.    

Also, since our Tutors are students from Years 12 and 13 (and university) they are relatable and provide a strong role model for the young tutees. While professional, the tutors are peers of the tutees, so they are more approachable; learning flourishes in a relaxed comfortable setting. The age of the tutors also means the examples and analogies that they use will be more relevant to tutees and easier to understand. This is especially as youth often think in a different way to adults. 

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How were the tutors chosen?

Virtuoso’s core tutors are the top academic students from Westlake Girls High School and they were chosen by Virtuoso in collaboration with the school. Interested applicants then applied by filling out formal CVs from which a shortlist was chosen. This shortlist was vetted by Westlake Girls High School representatives who knew the girls’ past academic performance, character, and suitability for a tutoring role. Virtuoso then checked the screened applicants against the advice of referees provided in the CVs. Applicants were chosen after discussion with Referees.

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What does the training constitute?

The training of Virtuoso’s tutors typically includes both initial training and ongoing support. Some initial training methods that Virtuoso uses include demonstration tutorials, practice tutorials in which trainees tutor each other under supervision – with follow up assessments and suggestions, as well as general questions and answers. A written document of tutoring tips is provided for the Tutors to refer to. This documents was created with the support of Westlake Girls High School: two of the teachers who are very experienced tutors shared their knowledge and experience, enabling this wisdom to be recorded and passed on to the Tutors. There are also follow up meetings. At Virtuoso Tutoring, training is continuous: issues and questions are dealt with, and suggestions and ideas are developed and implemented. This enhances the quality of all tutorials even further.

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What follow through does Virtuoso Tutoring provide after each tutorial?

Virtuoso has a comprehensive follow through system to support students’ learning. This begins with determining a student’s needs, developing individually-tailored tutorials, recording learning, setting reinforcement tasks, and monitoring progress. This system focuses tutorials on the specific content and skills that each tutee needs, and creates a record that can guide the preparation of future tutorials. It provides structure, accountability, and ongoing learning support through post-tutorial tasks to reinforce learning.

 An especially important part of Virtuoso Tutoring's follow through system is the Tutorial Form. Customers are requested to fill this out before the tutorial to indicate what content needs to be covered; this form is used by Virtuoso’s tutors to prepare a brief lesson plan for each tutorial. This system allows Virtuoso to provide structured, high quality, individually-tailored solutions to each tutee’s learning needs. Virtuoso’s follow through system helps assure tutorial consistency and effectiveness.

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What is the difference between Tutoring and Teaching?

 Tutoring uses different skills than teaching a class. Teaching is conducted at the pace that the teacher sets, having considered the pace of the class overall and school schedules; tutoring runs at the pace of the individual student. Teaching emphasises one-way communication that aims to disseminate information content to large groups within a restricted time; tutoring emphasises two-way communication that is personal and relatable. Teaching emphasises knowledge; tutoring emphasises understanding. Without teaching, tutoring would be useless. Teaching provides the foundation and framework of learning. Tutoring, however, is necessary to complement teaching: tutoring fills gaps and strengthens weaknesses specific to each individual student. Personal learning attention supports classroom teaching, unlocking dormant potential within each student. Virtuoso’s tutoring provides a learning service that enhances the work of teachers and students alike.