During their Enrolment Consultations, some students and parents express uncertainty about the efficacy of English tuition.
We take seriously their experiences of having previously invested time and money into tutoring that did not deliver results. Delta is at the forefront of tailored, individual English tuition that eliminates the risks associated with private tutoring and mass-market tuition. Hear from just a few of our students here.
To be honest, I’ve always been quite hesitant when it comes to tutoring, and I felt the same way about Delta at first. Now, however, I can comfortably say that – at least for me and from my own experience – if there were such a thing as a ‘right’ way to teach English, Delta’s approach is probably just that.
What I think separates Delta above all else is the quality of each aspect of their teaching. Their weekly classes and one-on-one lessons with my Supervising Academic, Stuart, helped me form complex and nuanced ideas about each text that I was studying, which I could continually develop in my writing. The detailed and highly specific feedback that Stuart provided on every piece I submitted was, for me, the most invaluable aspect of Delta. I was able to refine both my expression and my understanding of each text, so that I could genuinely say that I believed in what I was writing as I continued to hone my ideas.
Now of course, getting relentlessly criticised on every piece I wrote didn’t always feel great in the moment – but that was what I liked. It was Stuart’s tireless work in scrutinising every single aspect of whatever I had submitted (as I’m sure every Delta academic does) that truly facilitated my improvement. I would submit something that I felt had addressed everything in his feedback, only to get it back with even more criticism – and that was exactly what I needed. This was undoubtedly what I appreciated the most about my time at Delta, and what I think was most crucial both to my confidence in what I wrote when it really mattered, and, at the end of it all, to my success.
Ultimately, I can very easily, and very happily, say that much of the success I found was only possible because of Delta – success both in the HSC, and in gaining a much greater appreciation for writing, literature, and English more generally.
A. T., Sydney Grammar School (99.95 ATAR)
What Delta did for me was nothing short of revolutionising my approach to HSC English at a fundamental level. In the first half of year 12, despite putting consistent effort into English every week, I wasn’t seeing anything close to the results I was looking for.
However, after going to Delta, I was able to change my approach dramatically. I was re-energised and motivated to succeed in English Advanced, now that I knew exactly what was required of me. I experienced the full benefit of their Essay Perfection Program, with my essays jumping dramatically in marks from assessments to trial. I climbed from the bottom half of the cohort into the top 10 on the trial and didn’t look back, allowing me to achieve the ATAR that I did. If you want the very best English tuition, Delta is the place to be.
R. R., Baulkham Hills High School
In the stress of my final year, joining Delta was probably the best decision I’ve made towards understanding the ins and outs of HSC English. Delta isn’t just your average tutoring centre. It really is so much more. I wouldn’t have done nearly as well in any of my subjects if it wasn’t for the knowledge and support that I obtained from my teachers and peers in classes.
V. U., Girraween High School
Before I discovered Delta I had tried several other private English tutors, none of whom had an understanding of the demands of the new English syllabus and my school’s English faculty. Oftentimes the feedback I received from these private tutors was not specific and detailed enough, which meant that my English marks struggled to compete in a selective school. Despite the effort I was putting into English, I never achieved the marks I wanted.
Through Rebecca’s extensive marking and feedback, I was able to understand how my writing could progress to a high A range response. I understood what school and HSC markers were looking for. She helped me to top my cohort, an unbelievable feat I never thought I could achieve, and built up my confidence to perform highly in the HSC exam. I can’t thank Rebecca enough and only have the highest praise for Delta. I will always look back at how much I had progressed in English and the writing I produced at Delta with pride and fondness.
When I joined Delta, I was ranked well into the 50’s in my English cohort. It wasn’t until I began lessons at Delta that I rediscovered my fondness for English and writing. My Class Teacher and Supervising Academic, Rebecca, created a positive and rigorous learning environment which enabled me to regain my appreciation for the English subject. The high-quality, detailed, and thorough resources, course material and class lessons reinforced a culture where higher-order thinking was valued and celebrated, motivating me to work hard and persevere through the challenging course of English Advanced.
I greatly valued the effort and timeliness of Rebecca’s feedback and editing. Each piece of feedback I received was specific, extensive and helpful in improving the quality of my response. She honed my ideas and helped me to craft my writing with excellence, allowing my writing to stand out from other mundane responses. I could see clear differences in the quality of each of the responses I was submitting to Rebecca. She encouraged me to make improvements that enabled me to achieve full marks in the majority of my Year 12 assessments.
A. S., North Sydney Girls High School
During my time at school, English was always the subject that I struggled with the most. No matter how much effort I put in, my English marks always fluctuated and were mediocre at best. For years, I believed that English was ‘subjective’ and that everyone ‘good’ at English had some innate talent for it.
Nevertheless, I decided to seek out tutoring in hopes of gaining a more logical, systematic understanding of how to improve or at least stabilise my marks and channel my study time more effectively into getting results. Before joining Delta, I had tried a number of other tutoring companies but they never seemed to yield any results as they had large classes and covered texts different to the ones I studied at school.
At Delta, the small, school specific classes paired with the extremely detailed resources meant that all the time spent in class was geared towards perfecting and performing well in school assessments, ensuring that each student in the class ended up with strong internal results. Most importantly (for me at least), the unlimited individual lessons and essay marking provided me with a constant sense of support, motivation and encouragement. I personally believe that English is a subject that requires one to constantly explore new ideas and challenge preconceived notions, which sets it apart from other more memorisation/rote based HSC subjects.
In hindsight, this is what made English challenging for me; however, my amazing tutor was always there to break down complex concepts and pinpoint exactly how and why a particular section of my essay could be improved. This specialist nature of Delta is really what makes it stand out. It was comforting to know that I could always have all of my questions answered, but most importantly my tutor always gave me manageable to do lists and action plans, so all throughout the HSC, I always knew what to work on, which helped maintain a sense of momentum even when my motivation was low. This meant that throughout year 12, I was constantly refining my essays and practising adapting to different essay questions, which was advantageous as by the time trials and the HSC exam came around, I had already practised and gotten constant feedback for these types of questions throughout the year.
I’m not exactly qualified to give advice but here are my two cents on English and HSC in general. Very clichéd, but my biggest recommendation is to start early! You only get to do year 12 once and you get what you put in it. Your tutor is always willing to give you a timeline/deadline of when your drafts and adaptations should be due. Try to stick to these to the best of your abilities but don’t rush them so much that the work produced is mediocre (I definitely missed a few deadlines around the end but I tried my best). Take breaks – I noticed many people in my year group started really strong but by the time trials came around they were really burnt out and overworked. So, start early–and when you feel really frustrated with English, you actually have time to take a few days off. I went from a student who was achieving 70% in most assessments, and ended up with a 94 HSC mark.
C. Y., Pymble Ladies' College
Coming off a year with demoralising results in Preliminary English, I decided to seek assistance and enrolled in Delta Specialist English Tuition due to its professionalism and advertised support for individuals. Although I did not expect much aid from experience with other tutoring centres, a year later, I am glad I had committed to Delta as they actively support their students both mentally and intellectually and provide a fine blueprint in achieving success in HSC English.
At the start of Year 12, I was struggling with the concepts of my first HSC module as they were not clear to me, hence I decided to spend time after school and booked in extra 1-1 Individual Lessons with Delta's State Ranking tutors. In these lessons, I was able to refine my weakest topics within the syllabus as well as gain knowledge from these experienced tutors which were implemented into my studies for not just English Advanced, but other HSC subjects. Furthermore, whilst other tutoring centres offer essay marking which attempts to give feedback and suggestions for analytical expression, it simply cannot surpass Delta's essay marking program. It provides a strict marking criteria from certified state rank tutors with a minimum comment limit of 500 words, often providing tips and tricks to improve practice essays which permits flexibility upon approaching unseen examination questions.
Apart from the curriculum and programs provided by Delta, the mentors at Delta are extremely motivating and caring to every single student. I personally had Natasha as my tutor and it was truly an enjoyable experience as she was able to encourage individuals to actively engage in classroom discussions which brought out unseen potential within many students. She constantly made sure every student understood the important yet difficult concepts before moving on, and was always willing to repeat things for our ease of understanding. Her ability to skillfully decompose textual analysis and provide inspiration within creative writing ultimately made English Advanced, for me what seemed like the most monotonous subject, into one of the most enthralling subjects.
K. W., North Sydney Boys High School
The driving force that propelled me through the pandemonium and incessant stress of HSC English were the weekly lessons at Delta. For me, my Delta Class Teacher was not merely limited to the role of a senior academic who was responsible for teaching us writing, textual analysis and exam skill. Instead, what stood out for me the most was her dedication towards her students, passion for literature and the intriguing way in which she transformed my outlook upon English – from initial frustration to ultimate fascination.
Truthfully, my Year 12 Term 1 English results were disappointing during 2018. Unknowingly, I ventured into the area of study with my supposedly “better than average” analytical skills thinking that it wouldn’t be too difficult maintaining my top 10 rank from year 11, only to be disheartened upon receiving a 13/15 for my creative writing task I had drafted 12 times prior to submission. Although the mark was not devastatingly terrible, at that point in time, English seemed like a tedious chore that I could never perfect despite the endless editing and hours spent devising up essay and creative plans.
My approach to English changed drastically when I joined Delta. In my consultation with Bec, she told me that the students who excelled the most weren’t necessarily all inherently gifted writers, but many were the people who acknowledged their struggle and were willing to put in the utmost effort to fulfil their capabilities. This was definitely a moment of realisation for me. I was clear in my intention to improve, and Delta was there to provide me with the exact directions, guiding me to my goal.
On top of the weekly lessons which were text-specific, covering the content and theory I needed to form the foundational backbones of my arguments, the comprehensive course material I received from Delta greatly expanded my vocabulary and understanding of complex, conceptual ideas. The individual 1-1 lessons at Delta were highly personalised and specifically designed to target my weaknesses, while unlimited access to the exceptionally detailed essay feedback enabled me to construct essays of great finesse. The ongoing support Delta offered me gave me a balance of both confidence and technique I needed to excel in English.
The most insightful academic concept I’ve learned from Delta is the importance of fine detailing. Whether it be the specificity of textual analysis or the intricacy of narrative structure... to expression and phrasing, details capture the essence of English. Such details cannot be refined through generalised, one-liner feedback, but slowly perfected through consistent effort and individualised academic support. With Delta’s support and encouragement, I was able to internally rank 2nd in my school for Advanced English and achieve an overall ATAR of 99.90.
A. D., Meriden School
I always liked English; Delta enabled me not only to perfect it as a craft, but truly appreciate the breadth and depth of the English language.
Time, especially in your senior years, is such a limited resource – spending it wisely is thus absolutely crucial. So, the hours, dedication, and skill provided by Delta's extremely competent tutors and school-specific resource kits are an invaluable resource for any aspiring English student.
My Class Teacher and Supervising Academic was incredibly helpful at every twist and turn my school threw at me (through English Advanced and English Extension 1), offering a staggeringly profound level of insight and advice for not only each individual essay and module, but also in how to wholly apply oneself to a subject.
Lessons are rigorous and structured, whilst also possessing such a passion for literature that one cannot help but be interested in the subject matter at hand. Writing styles are tailored, not homogenised, and I felt that every piece of feedback received was well-composed and communicated critical linchpins of arguments rather than a generic array of comments.
In my opinion (and to wax poetic), beyond the gamut of timely editing, feedback, resources, practice papers, and advice, what Delta offers to inquisitive students, is a sharpening of the English language and a fostering of higher order thinking critical for tertiary education and life beyond high school (thanks Rebecca!).
In the end, I placed fourth and first internally for English Advanced and Extension 1 respectively – a feat that I likely wouldn't have been able to achieve without everything that Delta helped me with. To all prospective English students and inquisitive parents reading this page – you're in good hands with Delta, and best of luck with the coming assessments! You've got this.
R. G., Normanhurst Boys High School