About Us and Our Students

Responding thoughtfully as academic demands increase.

Expert Teacher-Led Support for Capable Students

At Rethinking Mindsets, we work with students who are capable, thoughtful, and often doing well on the surface, while finding learning increasingly demanding as expectations grow and academic pressures increase.

Tutoring is led by a small team of experienced, qualified teachers with strong curriculum knowledge and classroom understanding. The team works closely together, allowing for shared professional judgement, consistent expectations, and continuity for students over time. Sessions are guided by professional judgement rather than fixed programs or generic scripts, keeping support responsive, measured, and appropriate to each student.

Many of the students we support are bright and motivated. They care about their learning and want to do well. At the same time, they may be experiencing rising pressure, perfectionism, or avoidance, particularly in high-expectation school environments. Families often reach out not because their child lacks ability, but because school has started to feel like too much.

Our teaching is aligned with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, developed by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.

Why This Approach Matters

Students in High-Expectation Environments

We regularly work with students who attend schools where expectations are high and academic demands increase quickly. While these environments can be stimulating and enriching, they can also intensify pressure, comparison, and self-doubt, particularly for capable learners who hold high standards for themselves.

Students we support may be navigating increased workload, assessment pressure, school transitions, or difficulty starting and persisting with tasks despite strong underlying ability. Tutoring in these contexts is not about pushing harder, but about helping students regain clarity, confidence, and control over how they approach learning.

A Relationship-Led, One-on-One Model

Tutoring at Rethinking Mindsets is delivered one-on-one, allowing educators to build strong, consistent relationships with students over time. This model supports trust, continuity, and a calm learning environment, particularly for students who are feeling overwhelmed or uncertain.

Our small team of educators takes the time to understand how each student thinks, responds to challenge, and stays engaged when learning feels difficult. This relational consistency is central to the progress students make.

▪ Capable learners, increasing demands

Support is provided to capable students experiencing increased workload, expectations, or transitions.

▪ Supporting confidence growth

Clarity, predictability, and manageable next steps support learning over time.

▪ Focused, responsive support

Professional judgement is used to guide responsive support.

About Us and Our Students

We provide personalised, educator-led tutoring to support academic growth, confidence and independence, with ongoing and short-term options available to families.

When Students May Need Tutoring

Students may need help understanding subject content, opportunities for extension or assessment preparation. Others seek support when moving from Year 6 to Year 7, settling into a new school or adjusting to curriculum differences after relocating.

Students may be doing well academically yet find increasing demands and expectations harder to manage. Some experience pressure, perfectionism or demands that feel overwhelming. Tutoring can build on their strengths while supporting confidence, engagement and workload management.

Students in High-Expectation Environments

We work with students in schools where expectations are high and academic demands increase quickly. These environments can be enriching but may also bring pressure, comparison and self-doubt, particularly for capable learners navigating high expectations of themselves and from those around them.

Students may be managing increased workload, assessment pressure, school transitions, or difficulty starting and persisting with tasks despite strong ability. Tutoring is not about adding more pressure. It is about helping students regain clarity, confidence and a sense of control over their learning.

A Relationship-Led, One-on-One Model

Tutoring at Rethinking Mindsets is delivered one-on-one, allowing educators to build strong, consistent relationships with students over time. This supports trust and psychological safety, particularly for students who are feeling overwhelmed or uncertain, and helps learning feel calmer and more manageable over time.

Our small team of educators takes the time to understand how each student thinks, responds to challenge, and stays engaged when learning feels difficult. This relational consistency supports trust, confidence and growing independence over time.

Our educators’ teaching is informed by the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, developed by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.

Which scheme am I eligible for?

Relocations and service changes often disrupt learning, confidence, and routine. To provide stability, two funded tutoring pathways support Defence families across Australia.

ADF Education Assistance Scheme (EAS) Tutoring

Supports students when a posting leads to a school change and extra help is needed.

DVA Tutoring Programs (VCES and MRCAETS)

Provide tutoring when there’s a gap between potential and achievement.

Lead teacher and founder of Rethinking Mindsets tutoring service

Led by Experience

Rethinking Mindsets is led by Peter, an experienced educator with over 18 years working across Australian schools.

Peter’s work is shaped by deep curriculum knowledge, classroom experience, and a strong understanding of how confidence, anxiety, and executive functioning interact with learning. His approach reflects professional judgement developed over time, rather than reliance on scripts, programs, or one-size-fits-all solutions.

Known for his calm, respectful style, Peter builds strong connections with students and families. What families often notice is not just academic expertise, but the clarity and steadiness with which students are met, particularly when learning feels demanding. Sessions are guided by insight into learning needs and the emotional load students are carrying.

Peter works closely with a small team of trusted educators who share this approach and commitment to thoughtful, student-centred support.

“I’ve seen firsthand what students can achieve with the right support, when a child feels safe and seen, when learning is responsive to their needs, and when there is care, structure, and high expectations.”

Peter brings over 18 years of experience across public and private education, with particular expertise supporting primary and middle years students. His work includes students in Opportunity Classes and High Potential and Gifted Education settings, as well as learners from language backgrounds other than English. Much of his work has centred on the middle years, where students begin managing increasing academic expectations with greater independence.

Peter has worked as both a school executive and instructional leader, where he led school-based curriculum implementation and assessment and oversaw teacher accreditation and performance management.

His expertise in formative assessment for learning is backed by specialised training with the Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment at University College London’s Institute of Education, and leading school network professional development for both school leadership teams and classroom teachers.

Peter is also trained to support intensive, short-term reading intervention in the early years of schooling, to deliver targeted, evidence-based literacy support.

His engagement with school communities extends to facilitating parent workshops in literacy, numeracy, and the effective use of technology to enhance learning.

He is trained in trauma-informed educational practices to improve student wellbeing, engagement, and learning.

With a strong interest in mindset theory and interventions that support executive functioning in children, Peter is particularly passionate about mentoring students in the middle years and supporting the transition from primary to secondary education.

Peter

Founder and Lead Educator

Lead teacher and founder of Rethinking Mindsets tutoring service

Peter

Founder and Lead Educator

Led by Experience

Rethinking Mindsets is led by Peter, an educator with over 18 years of experience in Australian schools. His work is grounded in deep curriculum knowledge, classroom experience, and a strong understanding of how confidence, anxiety, and executive functioning shape learning.

Peter draws on professional judgement developed through years of teaching to respond to each student’s needs, rather than relying on scripts, fixed programs or one-size-fits-all solutions. Sessions are responsive, carefully paced and informed by learning needs, academic expectations and the pressures students may be experiencing.

Known for his calm, respectful style, Peter builds strong, trusting relationships with students and families, particularly when learning feels demanding.

“I’ve seen firsthand what students can achieve with the right support, when a child feels safe and seen, when learning is responsive to their needs, and when care, structure, and high expectations are in place.”

Experience Grounded in Schools and Classrooms

Peter brings over 18 years of experience across public and private education, with particular expertise supporting primary and middle years students. His work includes students in Opportunity Classes and High Potential and Gifted Education settings, as well as learners from language backgrounds other than English.

Leadership and Professional Judgement

His work as both a school executive and instructional leader has included leading school-based curriculum implementation and assessment, and overseeing teacher accreditation and performance management.

This experience shapes a tutoring approach grounded in professional judgement, consistency, and a clear understanding of how learning develops over time.

Assessment and Literacy Expertise

Peter’s expertise in formative assessment for learning is supported by specialised training with the Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment at University College London’s Institute of Education. He has led professional development in formative assessment across school networks for leadership teams and classroom teachers. In the early years of schooling, Peter is trained to deliver intensive, short-term reading intervention, providing targeted, evidence-based literacy support where early gaps need careful attention.

Working with Families and Student Wellbeing

Peter’s engagement with school communities has extended beyond the classroom. He has facilitated parent workshops in literacy, numeracy, and the effective use of technology to support learning.

His training in trauma-informed educational practices informs how he supports student wellbeing and responds when confidence, emotional load or past experiences affect engagement with learning.

A Focus on the Middle Years

Peter has a strong interest in mindset theory and educational approaches that support executive functioning. He is particularly passionate about mentoring students in the middle years.

This includes supporting students through the transition from primary to secondary education, with attention to confidence, organisation and self-belief alongside academic skills.

Working Together

Families who work with Rethinking Mindsets often share that they feel understood early in the process. They value having an educator who recognises both their child’s strengths and the pressures they are navigating.

We aim to make learning more manageable and support confidence, independence and resilience beyond tutoring sessions.


Next Steps

Explore our services or speak to an educator about your child’s needs and tutoring availability. An introductory session offers an opportunity to consider whether our approach is a suitable fit and discuss next steps.