Melbourne tutor in English, Essay Writing, Creative Writing, Reading, ESL, Special Needs, English Literature, History

See your child's success grow and their confidence flourish!

VCE help, english extension and enhancement, Scholarship Preparation, Primary literacy Support, Educational Support

**** Experienced and highly qualified educational specialist with over 30 years teaching experience****

Bachelor of Arts University of Melbourne - English and History
Diploma of Education - La Trobe University
Masters of Education in Literacy - Deakin University.

I am a highly experienced working secondary school teacher, having taught all levels of English from 7 to 12. I have tutored many students in English with a range of year levels and levels of abilities over the past 16 years, from Grade 3 to Year 12, and I have a working knowledge of most of the popular text choices in all levels of English and VCE English across secondary schools, taking part in VCE English course support and exam preparation networks regularly throughout the year. My students and their parents report back to me regularly how much they enjoy working with me and how helpful my assistance has been. I work on helping young people build confidence and competency, imparting important hints about how to achieve their top marks/study score. I currently have limited availability Tuesday, Thursday and Friday after school, and Saturday mornings, however spots fill fast. I am also available to tutor online, and find this an effective and convenient arrangement for busy students and parents.

I run classes from my home in Gowanbrae near Airport West. I am also available for online tutoring to any location, and have abundant experience in making that system work very well to support students of all needs. I have developed a range of resources for all levels of English ability that have proved very effective for my students.

I have expert grammar knowledge that I employ to help improve writing, and explicit reading comprehension strategies to improve reading. Essay structure is very important and I have access to a huge range of resources, but a student also needs to thoroughly understand the issues and key themes in the texts themselves to really make sense in their writing, so I do concentrate on reading and discussing texts with them to ensure they are competent in their knowledge of set texts.

When it comes to your child's educational growth, it is essential to remember that many teachers and students can call themselves tutors, but years of experience, a thorough understanding of individual learning needs, the numerous updates to curriculum and year 11 and 12 expectations, and awareness of the latest most effective teaching strategies is really what makes the difference.

References below of happy students and parents;

' Debra, thank you so much for working with Anastasia these last 2 years. She will be studying law at Latrobe Uni thanks to your help with English. She was very happy with her SAC results - A and A+. She is really happy overall. Another of my nieces is in Year 12 and wants to work with you as she has heard Ana raving about how much you helped.' Jan 2025

'I have found Debra to be extremely helpful with Year 12. She has given me a lot of information and tips which have been useful throughout the year. She is also extremely approachable. I highly recommend her!' July 2025

Contact

Experience

I have extensive experience in both support and extension in private tutoring from primary levels to Year 12, with a particular focus on reading comprehension, writing, grammar, text analysis and essay structure. I have a large number of resources to assist in the essay writing structure and improvement in written expression.

Qualifications

B.A Arts ( University of Melbourne)
Diploma of Education
Masters of Education (Deakin University)
Teaching English Language Learners in Mainstream Classes (University of Melbourne)

Rates

$75 prep to year 11
$80 Year 12

Gender

Female

Registered

Joined Tutor Finder on 08-Jul-2016 (updated profile on 24-Apr-2026)