Who we are
Action Tutoring is a charity that supports young people facing disadvantage to achieve academically, with a view to enabling them to progress in education, employment or training.
We do this through school partnerships, pairing high-quality volunteer tutors with pupils to increase their subject knowledge, confidence and study skills. Read on to find out more about our vision, values and future strategy.
Our vision as a charity is a world in which no child’s life chances are limited by their socio-economic background.
Why we exist
Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds aren’t less able, but they have less access to the tools that support them to progress in school and reach their full academic potential. This is called the attainment gap.
While there are many factors that contribute to these statistics, we exist in order to work towards a solution.
Our mission statement
Action Tutoring unlocks the potential of children and young people who are facing disadvantage. We are tackling the attainment gap head-on by forging partnerships with schools nationwide. Our trained volunteer tutors are empowered to enable pupils to make meaningful academic progress, opening doors to future opportunities.
Why tutoring?
Tutoring is an extremely effective tool to improve pupils’ grades. The Education Endowment Foundation calculated that an intense programme of one-to-one tuition could add up to five months’ progress to a young person’s schooling.
Small-group tuition works because it is tailored to individual needs and can address misconceptions at the source, while providing a safe space for pupils with low confidence to speak up and learn from their mistakes.
With the average cost of a tutor at £26 an hour, private tuition is simply not an option for the pupils that we support. As more and more young people access private tutors, the gap in attainment between disadvantaged young people and their peers will grow.
We use the power of volunteer tutors to bridge the gap and ensure that tutoring support can be accessed by every pupil who needs it, not just those who can afford it.
The economic impact of tutoring
In January 2024 policy consultants Public First published their research on the economic impact of tutoring. It shows that pupils who achieved better grades through tutoring will boost the UK’s economy by £4.34 billion. This economic benefit is captured through pupils improving their grades and, as a result, obtaining higher lifetime earnings.
For every £1 spent on tutoring, there’s a benefit to the economy of £6.58. These findings are incredibly powerful as we continue to advocate for investment in tutoring. You can read more about the research here.
Action Tutoring’s future strategy
Having a meaningful impact on the lives of pupils facing disadvantage requires us to always evaluate our work. Putting our plans into words allows our charity to have a clear and well-focused future strategy so we can reach more disadvantaged pupils.
Below you will find more details on our future strategy for the next five years focusing on four key areas: reach, growth, impact and advocacy.
Reach – We will expand the locations we work in, especially to reach more rural and coastal areas. We have calculated that there are over 5,500 schools we could be working with just two hours from one of our current cities of operation. We have an ambition for 30% of our delivery to be happening in these locations through our online model in three years’ time.
Growth – We know there is so much need for our work, as the attainment gap remains stubbornly large and as pupils continue to be impacted by lost learning from the pandemic. We aim to be supporting at least 10,000 pupils a year in three years’ time, rising to at least 12,000 a year in five years’ time.
Impact – We are proud of the impact we’ve already demonstrated but we want to go further. We want to drive efficiencies in our model while maintaining impact and to understand more about what elements of our model make it especially effective, all building towards a large external evaluation in five years’ time.
Advocacy – Since the pandemic, our role in advocacy work has been growing. We will build on this, using our experience and voice to ensure that there is a long term legacy from the National Tutoring Programme and that tutoring for disadvantaged pupils is permanently embedded in the education system, to narrow the attainment gap.
The meaning behind our infinity symbol
Action Tutoring helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve more through the support of our passionate volunteer tutors. At the heart of our brand identity is an infinity symbol, highlighting the infinite potential of the young people we support, our volunteers, and our partner schools. It shines a light on what young people can do, rather than what they can’t do. It also represents the continuous cycle of giving back: by volunteering with our charity our tutors are helping our pupils to succeed in life. They will then progress and in future give back to society as a result, starting the cycle again.
Our values
