Written by a qualified teacher with classroom and educational leadership experience. Rethinking Mindsets is a Sydney, NSW-based online tutoring provider supporting families nationwide.

Choosing a Defence tutor involves considering the educator’s qualifications, teaching approach and suitability for your child. Funding approval establishes the scope of funded assistance, but families still need to understand how the proposed tutoring will address their child’s academic needs.

Experience, professional judgement and consistent teaching matter whether tutoring is funded or private. Practical questions about planning, explanations and communication can help families assess what sessions will involve.

Look Beyond Promises and Packaged Programs

One useful consideration when choosing a Defence tutor is how the educator describes learning. They should be able to explain their approach without relying on guarantees, quick fixes or the same program for every student.

Ask how they:

• Decide which academic needs to address first.
• Explain concepts, model strategies and guide practice.
• Check understanding and adjust teaching.
• Support independence while retaining appropriate challenge.

Specific examples are more useful than broad promises about confidence or results. Our article on what high-quality Defence tutoring looks like explains these teaching practices in more detail.

Value Professional Judgement Shaped by Classroom Experience

Qualified teachers with classroom experience bring knowledge of curriculum, assessment and changing expectations across year levels. This can be valuable when a student encounters different content sequencing or unfamiliar tasks after a school move.

Families can ask how the educator uses school information and observations during teaching to plan sessions. At RM, educators use this information to adapt teaching to reflect individual school expectations. Our guide to choosing a qualified teacher for tutoring provides further considerations.

Notice How Structure Is Used

High-quality tutoring is structured without being rigid. Sessions should have clear priorities and an individual plan, with teaching adjusted as the educator checks understanding. Responsive teaching should not mean deciding everything without preparation.

Ask how the educator revisits foundations, introduces new learning and creates opportunities for independent practice. A consistent session structure can accommodate different explanations and levels of challenge while keeping the purpose of the work clear.

Pay Attention to Communication and Boundaries

Families should be able to discuss teaching priorities, how progress will be reviewed and what happens when needs change. Communication should include realistic expectations about outcomes, session availability and fees. No tutor can guarantee particular grades or personal outcomes.

For funded tutoring, approval must relate specifically to the child’s tutoring. At RM, families arrange approval directly with Defence or DVA before enquiring about funded sessions. We do not determine eligibility, approve funding or guide or manage applications.

Using Defence Education Support Well

Teaching should respond to the student’s academic needs within the scope of the approved arrangements. Confidence, independence and student wellbeing can remain connected priorities without being presented as funding eligibility criteria. Proposed sessions and any costs payable by the family should be clarified before tutoring begins.

Our Defence and veteran tutoring overview explains our services for families with approved ADF EAS or DVA additional tuition funding. Families choosing private tutoring are also welcome, subject to suitability and educator availability.