The OLA Method
Assess. Plan. Teach. Review.
Most families have tried tutoring before. What is usually missing is a method — a repeatable way of finding the real gap, fixing it in the right order, and proving to a parent that it moved. This is ours, in full.
Step by step
Four steps, and what each one gives you.
Every family moves through the same four steps. The content changes; the structure does not.
01
Assess
A 45-minute academic diagnostic with a Lead Instructor.
We work through curriculum-level tasks with your child and watch how they think, not just what they score. We look at where they sit against grade expectations, which specific skills are missing, how they organise and revise, and how much confidence they have left in the subject.
What the parent gets
You receive a written report and a recommended learning plan within three business days — whether or not you enrol.
02
Plan
A learning plan tied to the Ontario curriculum and their goals.
The plan names the gaps in priority order, the topics to rebuild first, the study habits to install, and the milestones for the term. It is written for the parent to read, not for a file.
What the parent gets
You approve the plan before teaching begins. Nothing starts as a surprise.
03
Teach
Focused sessions led by certified educators.
Sessions rebuild the missing foundation while keeping pace with what is being taught at school this week. Homework is used as evidence of understanding — it is never the lesson itself.
What the parent gets
Session notes reach you after every visit, so you always know what was covered.
04
Review
A structured progress review every term.
We compare current work against the milestones set in the original plan, adjust priorities, and say plainly what is and is not moving.
What the parent gets
If something is not working, you hear it from us before you see it on a report card.
Inside a session
What 60 or 90 minutes actually looks like.
Nothing about a session is improvised. The shape is the same every time, which is what makes progress measurable.
First 10 minutes
Retrieval practice
Short recall questions on earlier material — the single most reliable way to move learning into long-term memory.
Middle 40–70 minutes
Core teaching
The current curriculum topic, taught from worked examples the student gradually takes over themselves.
Last 10 minutes
Set and secure
Independent work is set, the plan for the week is agreed, and the student explains back what they just learned.
Study skills, not slogans
The four learning principles behind every programme.
Study skills are not an add-on package at OLA. These four principles are embedded in how every session is taught, in every subject and every grade.
Retrieval practice
Recalling material from memory rather than re-reading it. Built into the opening of every session.
Spaced review
Older topics resurface on a schedule so that September's work is still available in June.
Interleaved practice
Mixed problem sets so students learn to identify which method a question calls for — the skill exams actually test.
Exam simulation
Before assessments, students work under real timing and real conditions, then review their own errors.
Academic Success Coaching
Support that makes your child need us less.
Our version of homework support is not a room where answers get handed out. Academic Success Coaching teaches planning, prioritising, note-taking and self-checking, using your child's real assignments as the material.
The goal is stated openly at the diagnostic: fewer sessions over time, not more. A student who can plan a week, break down an assignment and check their own work is a student who no longer needs a tutor beside them.
Inside the written report
What the diagnostic report covers
- Current standing against Ontario grade-level expectations
- Specific skill gaps, named topic by topic
- Working habits: organisation, note-taking, revision and time use
- Confidence and attitude toward the subject
- Recommended learning plan with term milestones
- Recommended format, frequency and starting point
The report is yours to keep, with no obligation to enrol.
FAQ