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Rhianna Jones

Rhianna Jones

Rhianna is a highly skilled tutor who helps students build essential skills while fostering the confidence students need to reach their academic goals. After earning an academic scholarship to St Catherine’s School Sydney, Rhianna graduated as both School Captain and Dux with an ATAR of 99.90. She placed 2nd in NSW for HSC Drama with a perfect score of 100, while also ranking first at her school in Drama, English Extension 1, and Chinese Continuers. She now studies at the Australian National University on an academic scholarship, pursuing an advanced research degree with a major in English Literature alongside Asian Studies.

Results and qualifications

  • ATAR: 99.90
  • School: St Catherine’s School Sydney (School Captain, Dux of the School, Full Academic Scholarship Years 7-12)
  • State Ranks: 2nd in NSW for Drama
  • University: Australian National University, Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) - Humanities & Social Science (National University Scholarship)
  • Subjects: Drama (100/100, 2nd in NSW and 1st at St Catherine’s), English Advanced (97/100, 3rd at St Catherine’s), Chinese Continuers (96/100, 1st at St Catherine’s), Mathematics Advanced (98/100, 3rd at St Catherine’s), English Extension 1 (49/50, 1st at St Catherine’s), Mathematics Extension 1 (46/50, 5th at St Catherine’s)
  • Dux of Year at St Catherine’s (Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12)
  • The Ruth Morphew Prize for Leadership and Influence in the School, The Mettina Pavlakis Prize for Languages, The Foundation Prize for Best All-Rounder
  • Premier’s Award for All-Round Excellence
  • University of Sydney Academic Excellence Award
  • IGSA Festival of Speech - 1st Place in Senior Readings (2021), 1st Place in Junior Readings (2018)
  • Australian Champion in Scenario Writing (Middle Division) - Australian Future Problem Solving Competition (2019)
  • Grade 8 Acting Qualification from Trinity College London
  • Nominated for HSC OnSTAGE 2022 for both Individual Performance (Monologue) and Group Project
  • Declined Scholarships: University of Sydney Chancellor’s Award, UTS Vice-Chancellor’s Outstanding Achievement Scholarship, UNSW Scientia Scholarship

Approach to tutoring

Rhianna’s years of learning and tutoring have demonstrated to her that success in conceptual subjects like English isn’t conditional on natural talent, but requires explaining vital concepts in ways that resonate with each individual student. Her teaching philosophy focuses on addressing two key barriers to academic performance: confidence and skills preparation.

Drawing from her extensive exam and writing expertise, she offers practical methods to master challenging tasks like comprehension for English or essay writing for Drama. She tailors her approach to each student’s unique learning style, maximising the effectiveness of every lesson. With thorough preparation for each session, she supports both general learning and assessment preparation, using her all-rounder background to connect with students with diverse academic interests.

For younger students, she ensures mastery of grade-level concepts while introducing advanced material in an engaging, accessible way. This approach enables her students to progress beyond their year level and tackle future assessments with confidence.

Biography

Rhianna moved from London to Sydney at a young age and attended St Catherine’s School Sydney from K-12. Throughout her schooling, she held various leadership positions, culminating in her election as School Captain. Her passion for theatre manifested through musical performances and public speaking, while she also excelled in dance, performing both across Australia and in America. Her continued expertise in public speaking has led to her being invited back twice to adjudicate competitions at her alma mater.

Currently, Rhianna is pursuing an advanced undergraduate degree at the Australian National University, maintaining a High Distinction average. She intends to pursue postgraduate studies overseas after completing her Honours year.

Outside of tutoring and studies, Rhianna serves as Treasurer and Academic Director for two university student societies. She enjoys taking dance classes, performing in university theatre productions, reading fiction, and DuoLingo.