About
My name is Daniella Fernando
After graduating from Baulkham Hills Selective High School with an ATAR of 99.70 and completing a double degree at the University of Sydney, including a Bachelor of Laws, I spent the next 11 years building a rewarding full-time tutoring business, teaching my students to succeed as I did.
Specialising in Selective Schools such as:
Baulkham Hills High
James Ruse High
Girraween High
Penrith High
Hornsby Girls High
North Sydney Boys High
North Sydney Girls High
Sydney Boys High
Sydney Girls High
Blacktown Girls High
As well as extensive experience with students from:
The King's School
Tara Anglican School
Oakhill College
Loreto Normanhurst
MLC School
OLMC
William Clarke College
Northholm Grammar
Cherrybrook Tech High
Cheltenham Girls High
The Ponds School
...and many more
I'd describe my teaching style as somewhere between coach, cheerleader and mentor. For my in-person students, my home is filled with plants, animals, sunlight and a choice between a comfy armchair and a work table for my students. I want my space to feel comforting and welcoming so that you are inspired to express yourself with confidence and think laterally (which means to think outside the box). For online students, I hope some part of this environment carries into our on-screen lessons too 🌿🐱☀️
Our work in each lesson begins with a discussion about what you're learning at school, how well you've understood the content, and whether we have to prepare for an assessment coming up. Each lesson is tailored to your needs, but I also make sure we are fully prepared for each upcoming assessment. I help you plan your study schedule and lay out all the weekly tasks we need to do before the assessment day. We then fully cover the content to make up for any gaps in what you've learned in school, and I set tasks designed to improve your skills in the topic.
When we have time between assessments, we work on general English skills, including thesis writing, essay writing, comprehension, creative writing, discursive and persuasive writing, and/or individual maths topics. For all of the above, I use a database of content and practice exams that I've gathered together over the years. I like to take my time ensuring students master every step of this work before moving on.
In the weeks before major exams, we turn from content work and skills exercises to exam practice. I conduct fully-timed practice exams which allow my students to work on exam skills in a safe environment, with lots of feedback, before heading into the actual test.
Results
As a result of my integrated methods, the vast majority of my Year 12 students achieve Band 6 (90+ marks), often in the mid-range of Band 6, with some students attaining as high as 98%. None of my Year 12 students have ever achieved less than Band 5 (80+ marks).
For students in younger years, marks improve by an average of 10-15% overall, with some improving by as much as 25%, especially if we have had years of lessons together to gradually build up the necessary skills and healthy routines.
If you would like me to provide references, I would love to put you on the phone with some of the happy parents and students I've known over the years.
Education
99.70 ATAR
Baulkham Hills High School
2002-2007
First in my grade for cumulative marks in English Advanced, Extension 1 and Extension 2. All-Rounders List in 2007 (under the name Dulakshi), and awarded the Lord Florey Student Prize 2007 for Academic Excellence (presented by Hon. Julia Gillard)
My final HSC marks:
-
English Advanced 95/100
-
English Extension 1 47/50
-
English Extension 2 49/50
-
Maths Advanced 96/100
-
Maths Extension 1 48/50
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
University of Sydney
2008-2011
Majored in philosophy and studied a range of humanities courses focusing on politics, economics and history
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
University of Sydney
2008-2014
Attended the most competitive and arguably the best law school in the country. Elective subjects in my final year included Family Law and Environmental Law
Bio
I'm a full-time private tutor and I live in Baulkham Hills with my husband, Kris, and our two cats, Ivy and Eden.
Way back in 2005, when I was still in Year 10 at Baulkham Hills High, I got my first job at a local tutoring centre for primary school students. It was the first time I realised how much I loved teaching. In 2007, I graduated from Baulko with a 99.70 ATAR, achieving first place in English out of everyone who did all three subjects English Advanced, Extension 1 and 2. When I started university, I was hired by Five Senses Education to tutor high school students part-time in both English and maths. Three years later, I created my own student base and continued to teach while completing my double degree at the University of Sydney.
After graduating with my Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 2014, I looked back and realised something: the students who told me they were looking forward to weekly lessons with me, the parents who were thrilled with their child's marks, the growing network of happy clients who were recommending me to each other - it was all more rewarding than anything else I had done over the past 6 years. I decided to turn tutoring into a full-time business, and this was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Now, 11 years later, I am proud to say I have more full-time experience than almost all tutors in Sydney, and a thriving business with all the resources your child needs to succeed. I love teaching and I love my students - I'm still very good friends with a lot of my students who have graduated in years past.
I have a thorough understanding of the NESA requirements for each subject I teach, and most importantly, I know the formula for doing well in high school. I've spent the past 17 years teaching students how to master this formula. I look forward to welcoming new students for many more years.