From abseils to scootathlons: Fundraisers take on unique autumn challenges

Fundraisers across the country have been rallying around Action Tutoring this autumn organising extraordinary events. They have been able to raise significant funds and spread awareness about education inequality.

Keep reading to discover the incredible challenges they’ve taken on to support our pupils!

Scooting to success at an autumn fundraiser

Kicking off autumn’s fundraising, Susannah, Action Tutoring’s Founder and CEO’s son, Josh, took on a Scootathlon challenge. Consisting of a scoot, cycle, and run, at Impetus’ annual Triathlon event, Josh came in first, winning the whole race!

Josh raised an incredible £415 (£517.50 with Gift Aid!), which could provide online training for 166 of our volunteer tutors.

Reaching new heights

A staff team of six faced a daring challenge in another autumn fundraiser – abseiling off the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral!

It’s the largest cathedral in the UK, with the 100m free-fall abseil taking place above the west door.

The team collectively raised an incredible £1,659 rising to £1,956.76 with Gift Aid! This impressive total could provide high-quality maths or English workbooks to 121 tutor and pupil groups.

“Abseiling to honour my dad’s memory while raising funds for a cause like Action Tutoring, was an experience I will never forget. Getting to share the day and take on a new challenge with other colleagues made the day even more special.”

Adriana – Senior Curriculum and Training Coordinator and abseiler

Embracing the mud

Our Communications and Media Manager, Rebecca, and four friends, tackled a demanding 10K Wolf Run. The course featured freezing swims, muddy crawls, boggy scrambles, and 10ft obstacles!

The brave team raised £430, a total of £528.75 including Gift Aid. This could provide a year of face-to-face tutoring for an Action Tutoring pupil!

Pedalling with a purpose

Tackling an incredible feat, cycling 55 miles from London-Brighton, our team of four completed a sunny, scenic, and strenuous ride.

For this autumn fundraiser, in total, the team raised an outstanding £1,204, rising to £1,481.87 including Gift Aid. This amount could provide enhanced DBS checks for 132 of our volunteer tutors!

“I look forward to participating in more fundraising challenges in the future!”

Katy – London Programme Coordinator and cyclist

Take on a challenge in summer

If you’re feeling inspired to take on a cycle, wolf run, abseil, or scootahlon, get in touch with Molly via molly.cottrill@actiontutoring.org.uk. She can help organise your event, and provide fundraising support throughout your journey.

Or, want to take a spot on one of our 2025 running events next summer? See a full list below, and contact us if you’re interested in joining our friendly fundraising team.

Insights from the 2023-24 teacher survey: what we’ve learned and how it could help your school

At Action Tutoring, we value the feedback of every teacher we work with, as it helps us continuously improve our services and impact. Each year, we send out a survey to our school partners, asking teachers for their opinions on various aspects of our tutoring programme. This year’s teacher survey, which gathered 69 responses from 61 schools, provided valuable insights that can help us better support pupils and school communities.

Here’s a summary of the key takeaways from the survey, including how these findings could help your school make the most of tutoring support in the coming year.

Positive impact on pupil confidence 

One of the most important aspects we measure is the impact of our tutoring on pupils. Overall, many teachers noted the positive effects tutoring had on their pupils, particularly in terms of confidence. The programme scored highly in this area, with many teachers noting that it helped pupils feel more empowered and confident in their learning. This is a crucial outcome, especially for pupils who may have faced barriers to success in the past.

While most schools reported a positive impact, some noted challenges with pupil attendance, likely due to factors such as ongoing effects of the Covid pandemic or other school-related issues. We’re committed to supporting schools to overcome this in future sessions,.

Strong programme and value for money

Teachers were confident in the quality and value for money of our tutoring programme, with an average score of 8.6 out of 10. One of the highest ratings was for our robust safeguarding policies, which were rated highly by nearly all respondents. This highlights the importance we place on providing a safe, secure environment for pupils, whether they are engaging in in-person or online tutoring.

When asked about the overall programme quality, many teachers expressed satisfaction, with some praising the clear communication and support provided by our staff. Some schools did note that the input required from them could be higher than expected, particularly when it comes to coordinating logistics and ensuring attendance. This feedback is invaluable, and we will continue to work closely with schools to make tutoring as seamless as possible.

General feedback: what teachers value most

A number of teachers highlighted the high quality of our staff and the positive impact of individual Programme Coordinators on their school experience. Many teachers pointed to specific members of our team for praise, underscoring how important our Programme Coordinators are in ensuring that tutoring runs smoothly and efficiently.

A few teachers wanted more explicit links between the tutoring curriculum and the specific topics pupils were covering in school. We’re committed to addressing these concerns by continually reviewing our approach and curriculum, ensuring it’s as aligned as possible with what pupils are learning in class.

Teacher perceptions of assessment

For the first time, we included questions about how teachers perceived Action Tutoring’s approach to assessment. Though only a minority of schools responded to these questions, the feedback we received was constructive and insightful. Teachers shared that they would appreciate more clarity around how assessments are used to measure progress and how this data could inform their work with pupils. We will consider expanding this section in future surveys to ensure we’re meeting the needs of schools and pupils alike.

Moving forward: Action Tutoring’s commitment to schools

Overall, the survey results demonstrate that, while there are areas to improve, our tutoring programme is making a positive impact in schools across the country (you can view our impact data here). We are committed to listening to feedback and continuously refining our approach to ensure that we support both pupils and teachers in the most effective way possible.

In the coming year, we’ll be working closely with schools to build on the successes highlighted in the survey while addressing the challenges that some teachers raised. We’ll continue to offer high-quality tutoring and support, always with the goal of helping disadvantaged pupils achieve their full potential.

If you’re a school leader or teacher who’s interested in working with Action Tutoring again, or you’re considering partnering with us for the first time, we’d love to hear from you. 

Stay up to date with news and insights

Meet Imogen: Find out why she loves tutoring

Meet Imogen – a university student studying English Literature. We spoke to her to find out why she’s loved her tutoring placement and what rank as her highlights.

Imogen’s aspirations

I’ve long aspired to work with children. I really enjoy the idea of helping children grow and succeed both academically and socially. 

Imogen’s reason for choosing Action Tutoring

Given I plan on teaching after completing my degree, I wanted to find an organisation to help me better understand education. After researching options for my university placement, I chose Action Tutoring. 

Their ambition of supporting every child, regardless of their background, inspired me. It’s something I believe is extremely powerful and important. The idea of joining a community where everyone’s working to close the attainment gap was invigorating. 

Additionally, the charity’s flexibility in offering online and in-person tutoring sessions is great for both my degree and supporting pupils on a much wider scale. 

Imogen’s highlights

I recall one pupil in their first tutoring session presenting as slightly reserved. The pupil didn’t like reading aloud. I feel they preferred me to mostly speak and ask questions, while they listened and mainly answered yes or no. 

Post-session, I spent some time considering ways to encourage the pupil to get more involved and enjoy the session. In our second session, we spent 10 minutes playing getting to know each other games. This helped the pupil feel much more comfortable. By the third session, without prompting, they asked if they could read the main text for the day’s session. 

I was amazed at the pupil’s increased confidence, their engagement and enjoyment. It solidified to me why I became a volunteer tutor for Action Tutoring. 

Imogen’s confidence increase through Action Tutoring’s support

As this was my first time tutoring, I was slightly apprehensive and nervous on what to expect. Thankfully, Action Tutoring’s extensive resources massively helped. Workbooks, introductory games, fun activities and online resources outside of initial training, all offered me a greater understanding of my role. It really built my confidence before my first session. 

I was also apprehensive about tutoring online. I’d no prior experience using Action Tutoring’s Vedamo system. Thanks to the charity’s Vedamo tutorial, I more easily uploaded online resources and understood the system much better. This made online tutoring seem much less daunting. I spent less time worrying, instead planning – and looking forward to – tutoring. 

What Imogen has learnt

Being a volunteer tutor with Action Tutoring has enhanced certain skills I can apply to daily life, like planning. Pre-session planning has encouraged me to precisely plan and structure things like university essay writing. 

Why Imogen believes you should volunteer with Action Tutoring

Action Tutoring has set a foundation for my future career aspirations which could otherwise have been difficult to achieve. I’ve managed to explore what it’s like to teach and educate children, and educate myself on what becoming a teacher requires.

It’s also priceless seeing a pupil’s smile when they achieve something they felt they couldn’t do. So with this all in mind, I’d recommend signing up today.