Our Services
School Readiness
Especially designed for children aged 3-5 to support cognitive, behavioural, social, emotional, physical and language development in preparation for starting Primary School.
Sessions are designed to nurture the development of these critical skills through fun and engaging activities to help them thrive in a Kindergarten classroom.
Short, 1 hour sessions, facilitated weekdays. Feedback and helpful, practical tips will be provided to parents on ways to support their child’s development in their everyday activities.
Arrange a phone consultation to discuss how we may be able to provide support for your child’s development.
Homework Club
An opportunity for high school students to gather in a low pressure, high support group scenario in a positive environment with the guidance of a teacher.
Sessions integrate all Key Learning Areas and aspects of Student Coaching aimed to support students in their schedule organisation, learn time management techniques, prioritise tasks and plan assessments. Students benefit from assisted assessment task structuring and execution and learn how to consult marking rubrics to maximise results.
Students are kept on-task and accountable, progress is monitored and achievements are celebrated.
Thinking Skills Program
Feuerstein’s Instrument Enrichment (FIE) is a process-oriented cognitive intervention program facilitated by trained teachers. Students participate in engaging, problem-solving activities designed to develop:
Active learning attitude
Intrinsic motivation
Cognitive efficiency
Concept formation
Insightful reasoning
All of which underpin cognitive skills, such as organisation, orientation, comparisons and classifications and support:
language development
curiosity
focus
patience
motivation
Balmain Bright Sparks offers this program in both Small Group Interactive and 1:1 Private Intensive settings.
1:1 Private Intensive
Sometimes students require some extra consolidation time or more personally curated sessions.
These intensive sessions focus on your child’s specific areas of need. The time is flexible as is the content. Therefore sessions may be negotiated according to individual needs and requests.
Sessions may be catered to specific learning needs, subject areas or goals. Sessions may be regular or as arranged as needed in accordance with your needs.
“The secret for success is not teaching content,
but imparting learning and thinking strategies ”
Bright Start
Bright Start is an evidence-based cognitive, thinking skills program facilitated by trained teachers. This is a Feuerstein program for younger learners to develop skills related to:
systematic & logical thinking
self-regulation
social interaction
intrinsic motivation
learning
Aiding in the development of:
Children learn to
● conform their behavior to internalized standards for rational reasons.
● perceive the existence of problems.
● identify processes for finding solutions.
● apply those processes according to logical functions.
● set aside unsuccessful strategies to seek new ones.
● be critical of their own solutions.
● offer logical support of their thinking, learning, and problem-solving processes.
Parent Information Sessions
Bright Sparks offers a range of Parent Information Sessions.
Topics include School Readiness, Behaviour Modification, Emergent Literacy Support, Numeracy Development, Social Skill Development, Resilience and Wellbeing.
Informations sessions are designed to support families, parenting and students at home. Come along to learn how you can support your child’s holistic wellbeing and learning at home as well as align your approach with a speciality program your child may be participating in. You will make new local connections with like-minded parents of our fabulous community.
Join our mailing list to receive notifications and Early Bird specials or contact us here to request a session topic or to arrange a visit to your school.
Resilience
An award-winning social and emotional learning program, Bounce Back, promotes sustainable mental health, wellbeing and resilience for Primary School students.
Explicit, evidence-based teaching aligns with the school curriculum and is endorsed by The NSW Board of Studies. This program is facilitated by trained teachers in an after school, Group setting at Balmain Bright Sparks.
Help your child boost their social skills, positive mindset and resilience levels by participating in this valuable program.
Coding Club- Primary
It is our aim that students become fluent in code, the language of digital technology, so this language becomes their resource.
We introduce students to coding using a simple yet engaging visual interface. Students learn the concepts and language of coding including variables, conditionals, loops and functions that allow for the creation of digital stories, games and animations.
Our program promotes computational, logical and creative thinking as well as the development of problem-solving skills as these concepts are applied in open-ended activities. Students learn the core principles of design, including the development of persistence and collaboration skills.
Catering to all students from Kindergarten - Y6, students progress through our program, learning more complex concepts and applications of their skills, which can be applied across all Key Learning Areas.
Listen to Mitch Resnick, founder of Scratch,
as he outlines the benefits of
teaching code to students.
“Students learn to code, and code to learn,
in meaningful contexts.”
Coding Club- Secondary
Computer Science/Software Engineering is one of the most popular degrees at university (UNSW’s 2024 intake is approximately 2000 students) and programming is a fundamental skill necessary for all STEM workers and useful across many other fields.
There isn’t a standardised curriculum in Australian high schools, leaving gaps in student skills and knowledge. Computer Science is currently only formally taught at university level.
Catering to students in grades 7-12, Balmain Bright Sparks aims to nurture students’ understandings of programming and computer science fundamentals, to address this gap and develop skills, knowledge and confidence in order to explore their current STEM investigations and curiosities and to seize future university and job opportunities.
Therapeutic Storywriting
Therapeutic Storywriting Groups use the metaphor in stories to support students of all ages whose emotional and behavioural difficulties are getting in the way of their learning.
This creative method allows for especially trained teachers to support students’ emotional struggles and academic literacy simultaneously.
By working with metaphor in stories – co-invented by the student and teacher – emotional issues are addressed without overwhelming the student.
Many students with emotional obstacles find it difficult to focus, however are better able to stay motivated and on-task when storywriting.
This low-pressure, high support Therapeutic Storywriting Group provides holistic support to students as teachers bring psychological-mindedness to sessions to support students with a wide range of behavioural, emotional and/or social difficulties.
HSC Preparation
Preparation is key when heading towards the HSC. Balmain Bright Sparks believes in a holistic approach and provides HSC preparation across the syllabus.
The sessions expose students to past papers, explicitly teaching test styles and language, ways to maximise marks as well as the development of test skills and time management.
The sessions are facilitated by HSC syllabus experts and HSC markers whose generosity of knowledge greatly benefit our students.
All sessions include a self-care focus, stress and anxiety management strategies as well as time scheduling support. Students participating in a study group session have the added bonus of peer support and accountability features.
Private Consultation
At times students (and parents) benefit from a consultation whereby a holistic approach is taken to your personal circumstances.
Learning styles, academic and personal goals, social, emotional and physical dimensions as well as daily routines, extra-curricular activities and study habits are considered and a plan constructed to move towards a more positive mindset and establishment of effective practices.
We help to solve the puzzle of underachievement.
School Holiday Programs
Bright Sparks offers a range of School Holiday programs.
From School Readiness Programs, to Resilience programs, to Mindfulness Days, to sketch classes or coding workshops.
We offer some fabulous ways for time to be well-spent these holidays.
Join our mailing list to receive notifications and Early Bird specials!
VIP Program
Mental Health and Wellbeing impact mood and behaviour as well as the ability to function at home, school and in society.
Holistic development refers to the overall growth of an individual in multiple dimensions – cognitive, emotional, physical, and social. We acknowledges that a person is more than academic achievement, and that personal and emotional development play equally significant roles in shaping one's future, as well as academic engagement and success.
Students in our VIP Program receive close holistic care and monitoring through quarterly focus sessions, data tracking, regular check-ins, priority session times and a 10% discount on all enrolments.
We are passionate about providing personalised, meaningful and effective support to students and their families. Our distinctive programs are bespoke to each student’s personal needs, provide ongoing tracking and feedback to inform decision-making and support development. Our solution-based model acknowledges your need for genuine, consistent and trustworthy support with practical implementation processes.
Parents appreciate our ability to screen, assess, support, monitor, refer and manage practitioner engagement with their children, leading to increased efficiency and effectiveness of programs, maximising student benefits.
Schedule a free consultation today to discover how we can boost your child’s wellbeing, development and academic achievement helping them SHINE BRIGHT.
Career Planning
Planning life after high school can be overwhelming with options and choices.
Meet with our Education Counsellor to discuss your goals, ambitions and possible pathways to get you there.
Vocation Education & Training (VET) courses, university pathways, TAFE, career-specific courses offered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and Government Initiatives provide many possibilities.
Explore your options and potential outcomes in a personal consultation today!
Student Coaching
Holistic coaching at Bright Sparks takes a private consultation to the next level.
We will work together to identify your academic, personal, social and extra-curricular goals, strengths and passions.
Considering your learning style and working preferences, your personality and schedules, we will build realistic structures and positive practices.
Developing new sets of habits to match your goals will change how you structure your time and energy. You will develop more clarity and focus and these fundamental changes will lead to the adoption of a positive growth mindset.
Interactive Groups
Students are carefully grouped according to personal and academic needs as well as learning style. Sessions are held after school with Literacy and Numeracy focus. They incorporate student areas of need as well as special interest areas.
Sessions are interactive and engaging, and work towards building academic, social and self confidence.
Academic gaps are identified and addressed, learning needs are catered for whilst students are challenged and positive work habits are promoted in a high-support, low-pressure learning environment.
High School Support
High School students get stumped at times on a concept, subject or assignment. Don’t let these speed humps knock their confidence, Bright Sparks can be called in for help when it’s needed.
Specialist teachers work with students on subject-specific content, supporting and consolidating learning whilst promoting positive work habits, and recognition and appreciation of the student’s own preferred learning style.
We support their learning and engagement with content and bolster their confidence to take back to the classroom.
Year 7 Transition
As students adjust to new school timetables, various teachers and new expectations, we support them through this transition.
Regardless of school, students will have much greater expectations placed upon them. They will be required to manage their own timetables, assessments and homework, scheduling and digital submissions. Many students become overwhelmed by the pace of the content, and the demands of the homework.
We work with students in a low pressure, high support group scenario. They bring laptops and log on to digital textbooks and schedules as required. Sessions integrate all Key Learning Areas and aspects of Student Coaching. This supports students in the organisation of schedules, learning time management techniques, prioritising tasks and planning assessments as well as avoiding overwhelm as new Stage 4 Literacy and Numeracy content is introduced.
Expect students to be tired from adjusting to their new schedules and environments (remember starting Kindergarten?) it's important to find the right balance between providing support and unnecessary overload - striking the right balance is critical. Schedule a phone consultation to discuss your child’s needs.