Everything parents ask us, answered.

Stephanie Coaching is an independent tutoring centre established in 2008, serving Year 3–6 primary school students in Sydney, Australia. We teach English and Thinking Skills, with Maths offered from Term 4, and classes tailored for the Opportunity Class (OC) placement test, the Selective High School placement test, NAPLAN and everyday school enrichment. English is our specialty. Our motto is "Believe to Achieve".

We teach primary school students in Years 3 to 6. Stage 2 — Acceleration covers Years 3 and 4 and builds towards the OC placement test. Stage 3 — Extension covers Years 5 and 6 and focuses on Selective High School and scholarship preparation.

English is our specialty — writing, comprehension, vocabulary and grammar — and forms the core of every class. We also teach Thinking Skills geared for the OC and Selective tests. Maths is offered from Term 4.

Through a strong English program, students naturally improve in Thinking Skills and Maths, particularly in logical thinking and problem solving.

Regular weekly classes run through our online learning model and cater for students from anywhere. Our OC and Selective Mock Trials are held in person at our Centre, under real test format and conditions.

Classes are taught by Stephanie, the founder and principal. She is a qualified school teacher with decades of teaching experience, graduated with high distinction from The University of Sydney, and was one of the first 15 outstanding teachers in NSW to receive Accreditation of Professional Competence from the Education Minister. She specialises in Gifted and Talented Education and EALD, and has taught in both independent and public schools, including OC classes. Read more about Stephanie.

English is the foundation for everything else. Through a strong English program — writing, comprehension, vocabulary and grammar — students naturally improve in Thinking Skills and Maths, particularly in logical thinking and problem solving. Grammar shapes the quality of every piece of writing, and vocabulary is learned in meaning, applied in writing and reinforced through online activities. Vocabulary is also the engine of comprehension: a child who knows what the words mean reads for meaning rather than decoding, and can follow the argument of a passage instead of getting stuck on it.

The OC placement test is a NSW Department of Education test that students sit in Year 4 to apply for a place in an opportunity class for Years 5 and 6. Opportunity classes cater for high-potential and gifted students. The test assesses reading, mathematical reasoning and thinking skills.

The Selective High School Placement Test is sat in Year 6 for entry into Year 7 at NSW selective high schools. It assesses reading, mathematical reasoning, thinking skills and writing.

Our Stage 2 — Acceleration course for Years 3 and 4 is an accelerated foundation program. The large majority of lesson time covers English, with new vocabulary words each week, modelled, guided and independent writing, OC-style Thinking Skills drills, and visual reasoning and problem solving. Year 4 students can also sit our in-person OC mock trials at our Centre.

Our Stage 3 — Extension course for Years 5 and 6 is an advanced English program that focuses on the Selective High School placement test, scholarship preparation, and giving students a head start for high school. It covers challenging weekly vocabulary, persuasive, imaginative and informative writing, complex grammar and literary devices, and Selective-style Thinking Skills questions. Year 6 students can also sit our in-person Selective trial tests.

Yes. Our OC and Selective Mock Trials run in person at our Centre, NSW, typically from March to May. Year 4 students sit OC mock trials and Year 6 students sit Selective trial tests, covering Reading, Maths, Thinking Skills and Writing under real test conditions. Mock trials are exclusive to enrolled students.

Stephanie Coaching holds a high reputation amongst many families, with students consistently achieving high academic standards — receiving offers from various selective high schools as well as scholarship offers from private schools. Around 99% of our families enrol through word of mouth, and that satisfaction rate is the clearest proof of our results. You can read their letters on our testimonials page.

Enrolment happens in three steps. First, submit the enquiry form on our home page — Stephanie reads every enquiry personally and replies within 1–2 business days with current term details, fees and next steps. Second, watch the replay of our parent information session, which provides a general idea of how the program works. Third, attend a live parent induction meeting with Stephanie before your child's first class.

Fees vary by program and term. When you submit an enquiry, we respond personally with our current term details, fees and next steps. Contact us at [email protected] or via the enquiry form on the home page.

Yes. Our programs are custom designed and aligned with the Australian national curriculum and the Cambridge curriculum. We track every student's progress through standardised tests, weekly tests, anecdotal notes and checklists, and parents receive constructive feedback about their child's progress on a regular basis. Individual families receive weekly progress reports, an end-of-term report and an end-of-year report, each showing their child's strengths and the areas to improve on. Our program is designed to fill the gaps and build a solid foundation before a child accelerates — much like building a house, where the foundation has to be right before anything is built on top of it. Without it, knowledge collapses under pressure. We have specialised expertise in Opportunity Class, Selective and NAPLAN preparation.