The South Burnett Tutoring Association Inc commenced operation in January 2013, to continue the tutoring of the local student community after the June Wenzel Learning Centre, a private tutoring business, closed.  Three tutors who had worked there for years decided to continue. Now SBTA has double the original number of tutors.

The main object of the Association is to improve the educational opportunities of students in the South Burnett by bringing tutors, students, parents and other interested community members together in a safe and supported environment through a not-for-profit association.  Any small surplus is used to improve outcomes for students through the purchase of educational resources and equipment.

The Association has been able to sustain reasonable prices for tutoring and offers family and small group discounts, thereby making tutoring more affordable for many.  Tutoring duration is usually 1 hour, and may be weekly or fortnightly, but we are flexible. High school students may require extra lessons before exams, and finish tutoring after them.  We have no contracts, but all students need to book a regular slot to ensure they receive their tutoring session even when we are very busy.  

All tutors have current Working with Children cards (Blue cards) and are either registered teachers or have high qualifications, expertise and experience in the subjects they tutor. Although all tutoring is linked to the national curriculum, at SBTA the atmosphere differs greatly from that of a school.  In the building’s open-area lay-out are separate tutoring areas where students, from levels Prep to Year 12, or adult students, work with their tutors individually.  No-one disturbs anyone as all work quietly, each with their tutor’s undivided attention.  

We are serious about duty-of-care for our students;

• Every lesson is supervised as no areas are isolated from view.
• Schedules are organised so that no tutor is ever alone in the building with a student.
• Parents of minors are required to fill out a Memorandum of Understanding which gives details of the student’s particular needs, e.g. health., as well as contact details of both parent and tutor.

Tutors contact parents, and parents contact tutors, by phone or email, regarding any matters for the student.  A three-way system can be worked with class teacher to parent to tutor, to facilitate the child’s learning, via email.