Volunteer to tutor English
Help disadvantaged pupils master the communication skills they need for a bright future. No teaching experience or lesson planning required – we provide the tools; you provide the encouragement.
Express interestEnglish is the gateway to the entire curriculum. For a pupil eligible for Free School Meals, falling behind in literacy doesn’t just impact their English grade – it affects their ability to access history, science, and future job opportunities.
We know that “going back to school” to tutor English can feel daunting. That’s why we support you every step of the way. We remove the pressure of preparation so you can focus on building a pupil’s confidence.
- Tutor workbooks that are fully tailored to the national curriculum (and have the answers!).
- Additional, opt-in training and live webinars.
- In-session support from a Programme Coordinator.
Primary English tutoring: Building the foundation (ages 9-11)
As a primary volunteer, you’ll help Year 6 pupils prepare for their SATs exams. You’ll act as a facilitator, using engaging texts like ‘Women in Space’ or ‘Wind in the Willows’ to turn reading into an adventure.
The anatomy of a primary session (60 minutes)
- The warm-up: A quick vocabulary booster or cross-curricular game.
- Introduction: Pre-reading discussions and “word detective” prediction tasks.
- Guided exploration: Reading short, engaging extracts using our scripted terminology.
- Active comprehension: Five SATs-style activities focused on retrieval, inference, and comparison.
- Review and reflect: Marking work together to catch misconceptions and celebrate “aha!” moments.
Secondary English tutoring: Opening doors (ages 14-16)
At the secondary level, you help Year 11 pupils achieve a “strong pass” (Grade 5) at GCSE. These sessions don’t just prepare them for exams; they equip them with the literacy and communication skills essential for the workplace.
The secondary session structure
We use a “scaffolded” approach to make complex texts accessible:
- Reflection: A dedicated space for the pupil to own their progress.
- Unfamiliar vocabulary: We pre-teach tricky words so pupils don’t get discouraged during reading.
- Technical terminology: Quick quizzes to master the “examiner-speak” needed for GCSE success.
- Guided reading: Recapping prior knowledge and diving deep into fiction or non-fiction extracts.
- Modelled writing: You’ll deconstruct a “perfect answer” together before the pupil tries their own creative or transactional writing.
- Reflection: A dedicated space for the pupil to own their progress.
Top tips for your tutoring sessions
- Model the reading: Read expressively! It sets the pace and helps pupils fully engage with the story.
- Be a “word detective”: If they’re stuck, ask: “Have you seen part of this word before?” or “What do the words around it suggest?”
- Embrace the silence: Give pupils “thinking time” before jumping in. Sometimes, the best learning happens in those quiet moments.
- Prioritise “sticky” knowledge: It’s better to explore one question deeply than to rush through the workbook. Quality leads to long-term memory.
Making learning fun: English games
We keep sessions high-energy with interactive games designed to reinforce vocabulary recognition and spelling:
- Sentence scramble: Un-jumble words to build perfect grammar.
- 20 questions: A great way to recap a character or concept from the text.
- Topic crosswords: Reinforce technical terms in a challenging, fun format.
Ready to help a young person find their voice?
Whether you choose to tutor in-person at a local school hub or via our secure online platform, your one hour a week can change a pupil’s trajectory.
“The workbook was very easy to understand. It only took me one session to get used to the teaching platform.”
Vanshika, volunteer tutor
