Tutoring
Our tutoring is structured, academic, but unapologetically human — and never generic. Students are placed into small groups based on year level, ability, and text familiarity. Lessons are anchored in tried and tested teaching models which we’ve used for students across the decades. They’re rich in discussions, and our curriculum is designed to the touch.
We don’t teach tricks. We treat writing as a craft and thinking as muscle. Whether it’s preparing for the HSC/IB or mastering foundational literacy, every class is a chance to deepen understanding and sharpen expression.
Our curriculum,
designed from within
At Foci Education, we’re not just following the schools. We’re leading them by intentional design. Much like a university program, our students follow a structured and internally designed unit list — one that’s crafted not only to meet curriculum outcomes, but to elevate them and prepare our students to be critical thinkers once they graduate.
We use what we call the Foci Foundations: a curated sequence of core units, disciplines, and intellectual challenges that prepare students for the demands of Senior English (Years 11–12) — and beyond.
Why this
matters
Our unit design reflects the values which we see our students embodying — inclusivity, critical thinking, cultural literacy, and most importantly, originality. Every student, regardless of background, deserves a program that prepares them to think clearly, write powerfully, and engage deeply with the world.
Because the next generation deserves more than just worksheets. They deserve to be taught like thinkers.
Foci Foundations
Our curriculum is scaffolded across five focus areas, or “Foci,” that underpin every unit. These focus areas are the foundations for what we believe will help students bridge the gap between Year 10 and Year 11 English — the second and largest jump students must make in their learning journey.
Discursive Writing
Creative Writing
Contemporary Australian Voices
Advertising & Journalism
Cosmopolitan Voices
Each year level returns to these five foundations, term by term — revisiting them through new texts, new questions, and new modes of writing.
The Unit List
Just like a university prospectus, our junior and senior English program comes with its own curated Unit List. Each unit builds upon the last, layering complexity, criticality, and confidence. Below is a sample — true at the time of writing.
Year 7 – Building the Fundamentals
Term 1: Language Fundamentals (CDPA)
Term 2: Identity and Expression
Term 3: Perspectives and Culture
Term 4: Language and Persuasion
Year 8 – Voices, Media and Meaning
Term 1: Language and Contemporary Voices
Term 2: Visual Literacy – Art, Context and Meaning
Term 3: Film Study: Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite
Term 4: The Power of Media
Year 9 – World Texts, Personal Stories
Term 1: Language and Cosmopolitanism
Term 2: Shakespearean Romance
Term 3: Poetry and Social Commentary
Term 4: Narrativising the Self – Asian-Australian Literature
Year 10 – Language and the Systems That Shape Us
Term 1: Language and Journalism
Term 2: Shakespearean Tragedy
Term 3: Ways of Thinking – Post-colonialism, Feminism, Marxism
Term 4: Humans as Capital – Media, Money and the Self
Our Offerings
Team classes
For students who are from the same school and are studying the same level of English, these classes are the perfect way to grow academically as a team. This option requires a minimum of five students to enrol.
Private classes
For the more discerning students, private classes give them the opportunity to receive a completely tailored learning experience that’s unique to them. A very popular option for IB/HSC English preparation.
Group classes
With 3-10 students per class, students are able to make the most of very concentrated lessons which encourage debate, conversation, presentations, and open interpretations to the NESA English syllabus and prescriptions.
Group & Team
*all prices are in AUD and are calculated per student on a quarterly basis.
* Prices are prepaid for 10 lessons
(1 lesson per week during the school term)
* K-6 lessons last 1 hour. 7-12 lessons last 1.5 hours
As of 31/07/2024
Grade
K-2
3-6
7-10
11-12
Extension 1
Extension 2
Price
506 per term (inc. GST)
632 per term (inc. GST)
760 per term (inc. GST)
885 per term (inc. GST)
1012 per term (inc. GST)
1139 per term (inc. GST)
Private
*all prices are in AUD and are calculated per student on a quarterly basis.
* Prices are prepaid for 10 lessons
(1 lesson per week during the school term)
* Lessons for any student (K-12) last 1 hour
As of 31/07/2024
Grade
K-2
3-6
7-10
11-12
Ext 1/2
Price
690 per term (inc. GST)
977 per term (inc. GST)
1092 per term (inc. GST)
1265 per term (inc. GST)
1495 per term (inc. GST)
Packages
*all prices are in AUD and are calculated per student on a quarterly basis.
* Prices are prepaid before students start their first lesson.
Type
10 Group lessons + 5 Private lessons
10 Group lessons + 10 Private lessons
Discount on private lessons
Private fees less 10%
Private fees less 20%
Sibling Discount
Discount only applies to students paying full tuition fees.
Discount applies to combined-total fees
Children Enrolled
1
2
3 or more
Discount
Tuition fee less 0%
Tuition fee less 10%
Tuition fee less 15%
Annual pricing (subject to availability)
— 5% off total tuition bill
Early Start Cover
All new Year 12 enrolments who join Foci Education during ‘Trial Exam’ or HSC period will have an extra 20% surcharge apply to their final invoice. Early Start Cover (ESC) is an additional loading that is added to the cost of your tutoring fees if you join after Term 2 (Week 10) of 12th Grade during any given year — please refer to the NSW Public School Term Dates for more information as these dates change every year. For each term after you join, you’ll pay an extra 20% on tutoring fees. ESC loading disappears after the year 12 student has graduated. It is not applied to younger siblings of the Year 12 student even if they are listed on the same invoice. .