About

My Teaching Career

I started my career in early childhood learning, and have taught in primary and secondary state schools. I have obtained two master’s degrees relating to learning difficulties. To me, working with students with learning difficulties is far more rewarding than being a classroom teacher. It’s always exciting to see the links and progress made within individuals when the light bulb is switched on and they can reflect on how far they’ve come.

Dedication and Support

I am dedicated to supporting students and adults in reaching their full potential. My lessons are targeted, engaging, and flexible, based on the individual’s specific needs. I also look at ways to boost self-esteem. For students with learning difficulties, this can be extremely important as they can feel inferior to others, are often reluctant to ask for help or to accept it, and can ‘slip through the cracks’. This increase in confidence is achieved through patience and my ability to establish rapport.

Patience and an empathetic environment are vitally important, because what we see on the surface may be a manifestation of underlying emotional issues. There’s an excellent saying in psychology: “We need to talk about our emotions instead of acting them out.” For individuals with learning difficulties, this can be a real challenge. Therefore, patience and empathy enable us to see beyond surface level behaviour to any underlying emotional issues that may be driving it.

Unfortunately, many classroom teachers may not have the time or experience to address these issues. Some teachers may think a student is simply ‘naughty’, but they may be frustrated due to how their learning difficulty is impacting their engagement. This is where one-on-one learning can make such a difference in building bridges to address these issues. Tutoring enables them to become more confident and successful individuals.

I stepped out of the classroom and founded Hope Tutoring (ABN 36535962623) several years ago and never looked back. I began providing specialised learning difficulties tutoring, working with both adults and children with dyslexia and across the autism spectrum (including lower support needs ASD, previously known as Asperger’s) from my home office in Boondall, Brisbane. I’m continually rewarded by the successes, achievements and joy that students with learning difficulties obtain through the work we do together. I also deliver learning disability training for parents and teachers seeking assistance in this area.

I personally provide one-on-one tutoring for the majority of my clients but have organised the support of some wonderful colleagues, as there are only so many hours in the day!

My colleagues are all highly experienced, qualified and exceptional in what they do. We maintain ongoing communication to ensure your child’s needs are best catered for and that you are informed regarding their progress along the way.

You may find yourself lucky enough to have Jade Sercombe as your child’s tutor.

Jade Sercombe

Jade Sercombe is a specialist primary school teacher who has taught in both primary and secondary settings as an Inclusive Education Teacher. With over fifteen years of experience in Special Education Programs, and one-on-one tutoring with neuro-diverse students, Jade has expertise in meeting the individual goals and challenges of students with complex social and emotional needs.

Jade believes in creating an engaging environment with a variety of tactile experiences to stimulate cognitive functioning and working memory. Therapeutic moments are created by building positive connections for students with low self-image by recognising their strengths and celebrating them one small step at a time. Jade believes in the right for all to thrive as learners by acknowledging all differences as unique.