How volunteer tutoring has shaped my outlook on life

I initially heard of Action Tutoring through one of my lecturers. I am a third year BSc Sociology and Psychology student at the University of Greenwich. For my final year of university, I chose to complete a placement and wanted it to be in the education sector. From my experiences, I have often been on the receiving end of teaching and therefore wanted to expand on my knowledge of the teacher’s end and help inspire other students to learn.

Levelling the playing field in education

After hearing about Action Tutoring, I decided to conduct my research into the charity. Action Tutoring not only aims to help socio-economically deprived students but also creates a safe and equal atmosphere for pupils in primary and secondary to have the same level of access to education and therefore achievement as their non-disadvantaged peers. I believe social factors should never influence the access students have to a good education and opportunities should be equal.

For students who may face these difficulties, it is out of their control and often therefore presents knock-on effects when it comes to further education, for example gaining a degree. By becoming a part of Action Tutoring’s volunteer scheme, I aim to help all students have confidence in themselves and achieve academic success.

Why volunteering matters

Tutoring is giving me an insight into the teaching side of academics, but the main factor that motivates me to volunteer knowing the impact I can have on the students. Being able to provide them with a safe and supportive space that allows them to feel fully confident to push themselves and aim higher is such a big motivator for me. 

This is especially true, as I know a lot of people who would have loved to have this amazing opportunity presented to them. I can give the pupils hope and get them to believe in themselves. Volunteering should be something all individuals should participate in at least once in their lives, as the happiness you feel knowing you have made an impact will forever stick and guide your morals. Volunteering brings people together, contributes to communities, and creates connections It is beneficial for both those who volunteer and those on the receiving end of it.

The power of games and peer instruction

I am a strong believer that education should be made fun, otherwise students will not pay attention., I always ensure that icebreaker games within the lesson – points for completing the work, hangman games, maths bingo – all of these engage the students and make them eager to learn. Personally, I believe that this is vital as otherwise, students aren’t able to engage as much with the information being taught and therefore cannot improve on the skills they are struggling with. 

Another way to have a successful session is to see if the students who understand the information can teach me or teach the students who are struggling with what they have learned. This has a positive correlation with retention when students are struggling, as often as a tutor I may not explain in a way that is easy for certain students to understand. As peers, they are more likely to know each other better than I do and may help explain it in the way they understand from my teaching. Through this, I can then test the students again to see if they are still struggling.

A memorable tutoring moment

Some of my English students had previously done a text that was quite difficult to understand, so I decided to use a difficult word from the session in a game of hangman. They initially struggled to figure out the word, however, when they finally realised what it was, the look on their faces was pure excitement! I was hoping they had remembered why I had chosen the word, which they did and were able to tell me the name of the text without looking back. They could even explain how that word was relevant and summarise the text. I was extremely proud of how far they had come and how much they were able to recall. It gave me a sign that I was doing a good job at tutoring, which further gave me confidence in teaching future sessions.

Seamless tutoring experience

The main thing I love about Action Tutoring resources is their accessibility. All training sessions, extra resources, and programme workbooks are stored via one app called Loop. It is a really effective tool when it comes to accessing training events, as it presents all upcoming training sessions with their timings on the main home screen.

There are opportunities to do smaller Bright Ideas training sessions in your own time, which makes it easier to manage, especially if the online sessions do not suit your availability. Lastly, you can directly download the relevant workbooks for your tutoring subject and year group – it includes answers and solutions to all the questions, making it even simpler when it comes to planning lessons effectively. 

As someone who tutors a minimum of 6 sessions a week, I expected difficulty in contacting Action Tutoring’s programme coordinators, however, each session, apart from 1, had a different coordinator. This not only makes it easier to contact them, but it also makes communication smoother, as there is no risk of getting mixed up with the sessions or the students that are being discussed.

Highs and lows

The hardest thing about tutoring is controlling pupil behavioural issues. Personally, I have only had these issues with virtual learning because online it can be harder for me to control and redirect to positive behaviour when they’re not in the room with me. If these moments occur, I attempt to engage them back into the lesson or provide them with a mind break if I believe this to be the reason they were acting up.

Although sometimes tutoring can be hard, it also has a lot of benefits. Volunteering has positively impacted my overall life, often contributing to other aspects. I can carry myself with confidence, which presents more within my degree and therefore has a positive impact on my learning. Before volunteering, I was more reserved however this has since improved and now I can achieve my goals with more ease. My experience with Action Tutoring has been motivating and thrilling – it has developed my confidence in my teaching skills and allowed me to see the side of the education system that students rarely have access to.

Written by: Laura Shepherd

Tutor spotlight: Eleanor Grandchamp – future children’s speech & language therapist

Today we are shining a spotlight on an Action Tutoring volunteeer, Eleanor Grandchamp. Tutoring has been an instrumental part of Eleanor’s journey to becoming a children’s speech and language therapist. It inspired her choice of career, as well as being valuable experience that helped her land a job in a school and a spot on a competitive language therapy master’s course.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m Eleanor and I have been a tutor and advocate for Action Tutoring since 2020. I currently work in a primary school delivering speech and language therapy and behavioural support to a named child. I am due to start my master’s in Speech and Language Therapy at Reading University in September. I hope to be qualified as a paediatric SLT (speech and language therapist) with my own clinic one day, delivering free sessions in schools in economically deprived areas of the UK.

I learnt about Action Tutoring at my fresher’s fair at the University of West England, where I joined a local tutoring programme in Bristol in my first year (2019). I chose to help different year groups every time: Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, and Year 11.

Because of this, when I graduated, I found a job in a primary school rather than secondary school as I had already found that my teaching style resonated more with primary school children and I wanted to develop that further. Without Action Tutoring, I would not have been sure what year group I enjoyed teaching the most.

How do you feel your tutoring experience has helped you in your current role and how has it helped you secure a place on a speech and language therapy course?

My current job as a SEN LSA (special educational needs learning support assistant) in a primary school is very similar to tutoring but on a one-to-one basis instead. Action Tutoring taught me how to follow a programme and personalise it for each child. My employer was impressed with how prepared I was to teach and this was due to my time tutoring every week with Action Tutoring. Having tutored on and off for 3 years both in person and online, I had a large amount of contact hours with schools and teaching, which is what I needed to qualify for my job role. 

Through working with Action Tutoring, I developed a passion for speech and language therapy. I saw how it impacted a child’s educational and personal development and researched ways to overcome this, such as becoming a paediatric speech and language therapist. 

When applying for my master’s course, the university was impressed with my dedication to tutoring during my own studies. It showed my dedication to improving the education sector in my local Bristol area.

What are your goals for the future?

My goals for the future have been inspired by Action Tutoring. Once I am a fully qualified paediatric speech and language therapist, I would like to offer free speech and language therapy training for the staff working in schools with children affected by these disabilities, or free speech and language therapy sessions for the children and their families. 

Similarly to tutoring, there is a long wait until resources can be accessed by the children and by then it may be too late or not fully provide what is needed to help them. I would like to be part of the movement Action Tutoring has started to create equal opportunities for all children regardless of economic background. to give them a fighting chance to achieve their goals.

Sharing your volunteering experience with your LinkedIn network

Catch the attention of potential employers and impress your network by highlighting your tutoring experience.

Our Marketing and Communications team recently attended a workshop all about maximising our personal LinkedIn profiles. We want to share some of our learnings with our volunteer network to help you get the most out of using the platform.

LinkedIn is a career-focused social network that has evolved into a great platform for amplifying achievements, sharing experiences, and becoming a recognised voice in a particular industry or network.

As a volunteer tutor, you already have good knowledge of education, working with young people, and an interest in tackling education inequality. You are well placed to start your journey to becoming a thought leader in these fields.

Maximise your profile

First impressions are crucial, so you want your LinkedIn profile to have a professional profile and cover photo, a relevant and insightful “About” section, and your passions, work and education history. 

There is a volunteer section for you to list your tutoring experience and link Action Tutoring. You can also write a short description. Try to include your motivations for volunteering, skills you have learned, and how you think it will help you in the future.

Here is an example which you can edit to match your own experience:

Posting content

By posting regular content, more people are likely to find your profile and connect. It also gives you the opportunity to become a thought leader in your chosen field. 

If you are unsure of what to post, your volunteer tutoring experience is a great place to start. You could share your thoughts from a recent session, a photo of a thank you card a pupil gave you, or give your opinion on why tutoring is important. Make sure to tag Action Tutoring so we have a chance to see and interact with your post. 

Not all of your content has to be original and led by you. It is equally important to engage with other people and organisations’ posts by liking, commenting and reposting. 

Take time to follow accounts that spark your interest. For us at Action Tutoring, that could be other charities, our colleagues, and education and policy thought leaders. Each time you engage in a discussion through commenting and reposting, your account will reach new people and allow you to make new connections. 

Here are two examples of making the most of other people’s content, either by sharing a relevant article or reposting from another LinkedIn page. 

In today’s interconnected professional world, LinkedIn serves as a powerful platform for networking, personal branding, and professional development. By showcasing your volunteer record on LinkedIn, you not only highlight your dedication to social causes but also enhance your overall professional image, making you a more attractive and well-rounded professional in the eyes of your peers, colleagues, and potential employers.

Overcoming my initial anxiety as an online tutor

Teaching for the first time can be challenging. It is not as easy to adapt to and meet the needs of different pupils, who depend on you to instruct them.

When I first entered the education sector, I started out as a Teaching Assistant (TA) and for the most part, I didn’t have to actually lead lessons. I enjoyed supporting and working with pupils on a one-to-one basis, analysing where they needed help and targeting those gaps.

So when the option to volunteer with Action Tutoring as an English tutor as part of my university degree programme sprang up, I jumped at the opportunity. Tutoring children was something I had never actually done before, but I had experience working in close-knit groups as a TA. I wasn’t nervous in the slightest.

Conquering the doubts

The option for face-to-face tutoring in a community school was unavailable in my location and the only option was to tutor online. Apprehensive at first, I cautiously took on the volunteer role as an online tutor. 

A number of questions were spinning in my head: how do I get familiar with virtual learning software? How do I control pupil behaviour if it’s online? 

It was only after my first tutor induction session that I began to feel more at ease, as I was able to ask all of these questions and get answers. Action Tutoring provided me with further help with using the online software I’d come to fear – Vedamo.

Sense of relief

Never having used any online classroom software, or anything close to it before, the basic training on Looop really helped. It was simple and straightforward – the instructional videos were segmented into small 2-5 minute clips and it wasn’t overwhelming for a first-time tutor like myself.

After the training, I was given my login credentials for Vedamo and informed I could log in and practise any time I wanted. This was a relief, and I felt my anxiety slip away. Having access to Vedamo at any time allowed me to practise, and become comfortable and familiar with the different features of the learning platform. 

After speaking to my assigned programme coordinator, I was sent an Action Tutoring workbook via post a few weeks before my tutoring sessions began. The workbook covered all the lessons and included answers to all the learning activities that I would be doing with my pupils. 

Even more helpful, Action Tutoring also provided me with the online lesson templates, specifically made for Vedamo. All I had to do was simply upload the template on Vedamo and the lesson was live for pupils and myself to work with.

First online session

My first tutoring session was smooth. I uploaded the lesson template on Vedamo immediately and the physical workbook helped me with tips and tricks throughout the lesson.

Meeting pupils online was a new experience but felt exactly like I was in an actual classroom. The connection between myself and the pupils was not lost over online delivery and I could focus all my attention directly on interacting with my pupils on the screen.

Overseeing delivery

Another great relief for me was the fact that Action Tutoring has a programme coordinator in the classroom with the pupils during the session. This meant that if I had any concerns about pupil behaviour or technical issues at all, they could be resolved quickly. 

Everything I had originally worried about with regard to tutoring online has just withered away in this first lesson. The sessions after that only seemed to get better. 

After approval from my programme coordinator, I had total freedom to adjust the tutoring approach slightly to tailor the gaps of the pupils, which gave me some independence over the lesson delivery.

Consider volunteer tutoring

If you are feeling nervous or apprehensive about tutoring online, then I totally understand you. But, if you are anything like me, then Action Tutoring is the education charity to work with. They will understand and hear your concerns and approach your problems with care, consideration and training. 

The anxiety over online tutoring shouldn’t be a reason preventing you from trying it. Action Tutoring will help assuage all your fears and doubts. 

Remember, one of the most important things about online tutoring: no commute! Give it a try and see how it goes.

Author: Penelope Rudock

Passing on my love for learning through volunteer tutoring

As far back as I can remember, I’ve had a real thirst for learning. I have vivid memories of my dad obliging in taking me, a far-too-keen seven-year-old, to WHSmith on a Saturday morning to get my hands on those KS2 English and Maths work booklets – the type where you could treat yourself to a gold star upon getting an answer right. I loved my time in school and always tried to achieve my best in class, whether it was my favourite or least favourite subject.

For this love of learning, I’m both grateful and aware of my privileged position – as this is not always the case. Not all children are lucky enough to enjoy learning or to revel in the time that they spend in school, and there are many reasons for this. One of the biggest is that not all children begin at the same starting point in life as not all are able to easily access or utilise the tools that can support them through the education system.

Whilst I’ve never aspired to become a teacher or educator due to writing being my passion, in the six years since graduating from university with a Media and Communications degree and working as a copywriter and content specialist with charitable and educational organisations, I’ve seen from a distance the impact that the pandemic and budget cuts have had on pupils’ education.

In fact, the attainment gap between pupils facing disadvantage and their peers is currently at its widest for ten years, with just 43% of disadvantaged pupils meeting expected standards in reading, writing and maths at primary school.

It’s these stark statistics that encouraged me to do what I could to help give back and pass on my love for learning and language. After hearing about a friend’s experience volunteering with Action Tutoring, I applied to be trained as a volunteer tutoring English in late 2021.

By January 2022, I was supporting two Year 6 pupils to prepare for their SATs at a primary school in Newcastle and it quickly became the highlight of my week. Finding ways to engage the two boys in my group and demonstrate how important strong literacy and writing skills are, not just for school and exams, but to also get more enjoyment out of the content that they might play, read or listen to in day-to-day life was challenging at times – but it was a challenge I definitely relished.

Following their exams, I was delighted to learn in the summer that both pupils had gone on to surpass the marks they needed to ‘meet expectations’ – a real reward for both pupils, who I’d known had possessed the determination and ability to succeed. It’s also great that Action Tutoring shares with you this detail of how your pupils do in their SATs, as this gives you a real sense of fulfilment that you’ve helped to perhaps play a small role in this.

I then moved on and began tutoring two Year 5 pupils throughout the summer months, who I continue to tutor today – the girls are now just three months out from taking their Year 6 SATs. Again, it’s brilliant to see the progress that they’ve made in a relatively short space of time.

Perhaps my favourite thing about tutoring is that not only am I helping the pupils to learn, but they’re also helping me to develop professionally and personally.

They’ve helped me to strengthen my essential skills such as listening, facilitating discussion and giving constructive feedback. They’ve also filled me in on all of the curriculum changes since I was at school – what they’re currently learning or reading, and the reasons why they are important.

Last but certainly not least, they’ve also helped me to substantially improve my hangman skills – a game that is an ever-popular hit as a cool-down activity within our school’s sessions!

I’m grateful that Action Tutoring has provided me with this opportunity to pass on my own knowledge and love for learning to the next generation. After all, knowledge is power – but we must ensure that all children across the country are provided with an equal opportunity to succeed and achieve their dreams.

Author: Samantha Lade

Become a volunteer tutor with Action Tutoring and help disadvantaged children improve their academic strength and build a better future. With just one hour a week, you can volunteer to tutor pupils in English or maths at primary or secondary level, online or in-person. No previous teaching experience is required and we will provide you with all the resources you need.

Conversations with friends: breaking down barriers to volunteering

Over the festive period, many of us will be catching up with friends and family members. Ever thought that uncle, cousin or great-aunt would make a great volunteer tutor? This is the perfect opportunity to chat to them about getting involved! Read on for our top tips around breaking down barriers to volunteering.

We know that there are plenty of people out there who care about tackling the attainment gap, and would love to support young people to reach their potential. But, many of those people will have reservations about not volunteering. Lack of time, confidence with technology or experience working with children are all common barriers we come across. Our No Barriers campaign aims to tackle those barriers and misconceptions about volunteering as a tutor. 

The best way to respond concerns in your network is by talking about your own experience volunteering – and sharing your highlights! To help you navigate these conversations this holiday season, we’ve shared a few common barriers to volunteering as a tutor. Below each one, you’ll find assurances you can provide.

1. “I don’t have time to volunteer…”

The time commitment is just one hour a week. 35% of our current volunteers work full-time; our 8am sessions are perfect for fitting in volunteering before work or around your studies. And, our tutor workbooks contain session plans, so there’s minimal preparation time involved!

2. “I haven’t worked with children before…”

You don’t need experience working with children, or any teaching experience, to be a volunteer tutor.

We value that our volunteers come from a diverse range of occupations and may not have worked with children before. You’ll be supported every step of the way, with training, resources and in-session support from your Programme Coordinator.

3. “I don’t have the right qualifications…”

We look for volunteers with a B grade or above at A-level in either maths or English, or a related subject, and a degree in any subject (or working towards a degree). If you didn’t study A-levels, or go to university, we consider all equivalent qualifications and experience. We’d still love to read your application!

4. “I’m not familiar with the current curriculum, so how can I tutor it?”

You don’t need to be. Our maths and English tutor workbooks are carefully tailored to the national curriculum and contain all of the methods and approaches you need to know. We work closely with our partner schools to ensure the content of our workbooks mirrors pupils’ classroom learning.

5. “How will I know if I’m making a difference?”

We will keep you updated on your pupils’ progress! We run assessments before and midway through the tutoring programme to assess progress. We also endeavour to capture all final exam results for our pupils.

Action Tutoring’s No Barriers campaign will launch on our social media channels on 26th December. Over the 12 days of Christmas, we’ll be tackling 12 barriers to volunteering – showing how simple it is to get involved, and how well-supported and structured the programmes are.

Our tutoring programmes resume in the new year. With the attainment gap at its widest in ten years and schools struggling because of the cost of living crisis, more and more pupils are in need of our support. To meet the demand, we need more volunteer tutors to join our mission.

Please support us to reach more potential volunteers by liking and sharing our posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, or sending them directly to friends, family and colleagues. 

How volunteer tutoring is helping me rediscover my purpose

“When I grow up I wanna be… A builder? A ballerina? A butterfly?!”

I knew I wanted to be the next Darcy Bussell when I was five years old. Pretty sure I was ‘dancing before I could even walk’. Or is that just what my nan used to tell everyone?

I have recently been fortunate to start volunteer tutoring with education charity, Action Tutoring, through a university placement scheme, teaching GCSE English at a school in Liverpool. As a student at the University of Liverpool, I feel this is a perfect set-up for me.

At first, I was a bit sceptical. I thought a group of 15-year-olds would question whether I was on the right side of the classroom and if I should actually be joining them. As at only 20 years old, I might not seem old enough to be the one tutoring the class. That was my first worry, then came what if I am actually just not good at this at all?

Don’t get me wrong, I did the training and the two-hour Zoom call had my undivided attention, but that is no comparison to sitting in a library with three 15-year-old pupils looking to you to offer them help and guidance. Safe to say, volunteering with Action Tutoring is a test for me to see if teaching is a profession I could genuinely see myself doing in the future. I mean, as soon as you say, “I study English at uni”, the question that usually follows is: “Do you want to be a teacher?”, so I thought I should give it a fair trial.

Of course, the tutoring resources provided by Action Tutoring have been helpful and all I have to do is work through them for an hour each week with assigned pupils. However, I feel like I wanted to provide more than that. I really wanted to walk into that school and change lives. Unsurprisingly it was a bit awkward at first but my pupil group is now doing extremely well. We’ve already come such a long way in the last five weeks we have been working together.

I never expected the sense of pride and accomplishment I would be feeling, not just for myself in keeping it together for over a month, but for the pupils experiencing academic progress. This opportunity has allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the education of young people, which has been so rewarding that I can’t even begin to express my gratitude.

To other undergrads out there, I can offer only words of wisdom based on my experience over the past several weeks.

I advise that you throw yourself into the whole tutoring experience – put time into preparing for the sessions, believe in your ability to teach other people, and revel in a chance to work on your social skills with the teens of today, which is a plus in itself.

Now I definitely don’t want to be Darcy Bussell, as glamorous as she is. Being a builder is out of reach as I complain about grating cheese, hence manual labour doesn’t seem to be the right fit for me. But you never know; when I graduate in eight months’ time, maybe I’ll go down the route of teaching to help young children achieve academic greatness, with a side of “Miss, when can we go home?” in there.

Author: Eve Wickham

Become a volunteer tutor with Action Tutoring and help disadvantaged children improve their academic strength and build a better future. With just one hour a week, you can volunteer to tutor pupils in English or maths at primary or secondary level, online or in-person. No previous teaching experience is required and we will provide you with all the resources you need.

Diversity and Inclusion at Action Tutoring

As a charity that values and celebrates diversity and inclusion and champions opportunities for all young people, we always strive to create an environment of respect in which every individual is welcomed, valued, and empowered to be their authentic selves.

Diversity and Inclusion is more than simple policies applied in a workplace. It is a way of thinking and acting, so we can establish fairer working conditions for every employee.

What is Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace?

In order to best define diversity in the workplace, we have to consider all the different characteristics that we as unique individuals have; such as our race, age, gender and sexual orientation. However, we also have differences when it comes to our experiences, talents, skills or opinions.

Inclusivity enables us to explore these differences together in a healthy, positive and non-judgemental environment. It means understanding one another and embracing the differences, not just tolerating them.

The CIPD advises that an environment is inclusive when people feel valued and accepted in their team and in the wider organisation, without having to conform. To achieve these is an organisational effort.

Why is D&I essential? 

Equal access to opportunities for all people is both the right thing to do and a legal obligation under the Equalities Act 2010. It is important to continuously consider, so we don’t exclude any potential tutors or employees.

As a charity, we appreciate the power and importance of bringing different people together. When we feel included, appreciated and celebrated, we are more likely to unleash our potential.

What D&I policies and initiatives do we have at Action Tutoring?

We are committed to ensuring that all applicants are treated fairly throughout the recruitment and training process.

 We endeavour to make sure our content on our social media channels and website is accessible to everyone, for example by using plain English and avoid using figures of speech and idioms, and using text instead of graphics when sharing important informationYou can learn more on a previous blog about how inclusive communication is implemented in our organisation. 

Action Tutoring has a D&I working group, where staff members meet regularly and discuss different ways that we can improve the way we work together. It’s a free and open space for everyone to share ideas.

In our additional resources for volunteer tutors, we have included a Diversity and Inclusion tutor code of conduct in order to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and in accordance with Equal Opportunities policies. 

We have regular internal “Broaden Your Horizons” sessions to discuss and reflect on current issues that affect us all. Session content has included Black British history, “fatphobia” and linguistic differences between regions in England. 

We have conducted audits into the racial and gender diversity of authors and names used in our tutoring resources, have increased this diversity in some of our resources and have established targets to continue this work over time.

We believe that a true inclusive community doesn’t just have a diversity of people to display, but it has a diversity of people who are involved, supported, empowered and trusted by everyone else.

Interested in working for us? View our current vacancies. We do accept speculative CVs for our Programme Coordinator roles – you can click here to see a job description).

Or if you’re interested in volunteering as a tutor, click below!

How to help disadvantaged pupils settle into a new academic year as a tutor

Our autumn term has officially begun and we are incredibly excited to continue supporting our pupils across the country!

If education equality is a cause you deeply care about, volunteering as a tutor is an effective way to support disadvantaged young people achieve the grades they need to open doors to a brighter future.

As a volunteer with Action Tutoring, you can tutor in-school for an hour once a week and meet your pupils face-to-face. But, for those who wish to join our mission and find it difficult due to busy schedules, you can tutor online too!

Here we share some tips on how to help your pupils settle into the new academic year.

How can you help pupils settle into a new academic year as a tutor?

Create a welcoming and safe learning environment

Our volunteers are provided with the support and resources they need to make tutoring sessions a safe space for all pupils. Our session plans include icebreaker suggestions to get to know each other and warm up activities to start each session.

A safe learning space, and feeling comfortable with a new adult, enables children to feel comfortable in sharing their thoughts and opinions, without the fear of being judged.

Clear boundaries and inclusive communication also allows tutors to better handle sensitive topics and create a stronger bond with pupils. 

Read more: Inclusive communication at Action Tutoring: Why it matters

Ask open-ended questions

Closed questions also seem to provide an easy shortcut to assessing pupil learning, but open-ended questions have the power to challenge pupils and motivate them to think critically. This way, they are not passively obtaining new knowledge, but process it in an effective way and provide a range of responses.

Remember to be attentive, show an authentic interest in what they say and reply with kindness.

Praise their hard work

Praise is an important part of tutoring and can motivate pupils to do better! As a tutor, be sure to remind them they are one step closer to their learning goals, and this will leave pupils feeling inspired and motivated to do better next time.

If they are struggling with a particular concept in a session, you can remind them about a time when they struggled to do something the first time, but kept going and now can do it well. Or, if you don’t know them that well yet, ask them to think of an example!

When your pupils make progress, no matter how small or big, praise makes them feel empowered and supported.

Learn more skills

A good tutor turns up to their session on time, follows our resources and engages with their pupils effectively each week. A brilliant tutor is someone who seeks ways to improve the way they communicate and interact with their pupils! 

With Action Tutoring, you can benefit from our Bright Ideas training sessions. These provide volunteers with additional, bitesize training to learn about ways in which you can go that extra mile to support your pupils.

You can also browse our news and insights for more blogs with tutoring tips!

We suggest:

Nervous about your first tutoring session? These tips will help!

Struggling to engage your pupils in tutoring sessions? This guide will help!

World Teachers’ Day 2022 – the heart of our education system

5th October is internationally recognised as the World Teacher’s day and this year marks the 28th anniversary!

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) established the celebration in 1994 and since then, this day serves as a reminder to appreciate and thank all the teachers for the fundamental role they play in our lives. 

As an education charity, we understand how essential teachers’ roles are in the lives of children, especially those coming from a lower socioeconomic background. Teachers can be a huge source of inspiration and a role model for the pupils they teach.

This is an annual opportunity to take a moment and reflect on the importance of teachers and how they’re nurturing the young people of tomorrow. Each year, World Teachers’ Day has a unique theme to build awareness about the issues that teachers are facing worldwide and how we can collectively help their mission. 

World Teachers’ Day will celebrate teachers’ instrumental role in transforming education, and will advocate for bold strategic actions by policymakers, teachers themselves and civil society.

What is WTD 2022 advocating for?

The TES (Transforming Education Summit) recognises that educational transformation will only happen if teachers are professionalised, trained, motivated and supported to drive the process. The UNESCO concept note states that in practice, this means that:

• Each country should have the right number of qualified and trained teachers and other education professionals in the right place with the right skills.
• All teachers have access to relevant continuous professional development throughout their careers and benefit from professional support.
• Every teacher, school leader and education personnel have a recognized professional status, can participate in social and policy dialogue and work in conditions that enable them to perform and to transform education from within.
• Teachers and other professionals are empowered to lead learning, innovate, produce and harness relevant research and innovations.

The World Teachers’ Day 2022 commemorations will focus on the support that teachers need to fully contribute to educational transformations and will advocate for bolder actions by all stakeholders.

How Action Tutoring collaborates with teachers

While teachers work hard to establish a new learning environment after the pandemic, education inequality has already deepened. Simply reopening schools after lockdown is not sufficient in helping many children catch up; they need sustainable and personalised support. 

Education recovery can’t be achieved if we don’t offer our support to ensure disadvantaged children receive additional support that encourages them to re-engage in learning activities. 

Action Tutoring is incredibly grateful to work with amazing teachers across the country and assist them in supporting disadvantaged pupils to progress academically. We seek to work closely with subject teachers to ensure that tutoring complements classroom teaching.

All pupils enrolled on our programmes sit a baseline assessment, which is used to develop personalised learning plans. Our volunteer tutors use these plans to support their pupils’ progress in key topic areas and with subject-specific skills. Pupils are then re-assessed to measure progress and map impact made, identifying gaps in knowledge.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the teachers we work with across our partner schools.! Teachers are the heart of our education systems and work tirelessly to inspire, guide and educate the next generation.

Read more: You might wake up tomorrow a teacher!”- We speak to one of Action Tutoring’s very first tutors, 10 years on!

What can you do to celebrate?

Thank your old teachers! 

We all have at least one teacher that stands out among the rest. Maybe this teacher was the one who took extra time to ensure you understand the subject? Or maybe they motivated you to reach your full potential? 

Many pupils attribute their success to the patience and persistence of their teachers and tutors. So why not take this opportunity to reach out to an old teacher to thank them, and let them know what you’re doing now! (Do they have LinkedIn? Or is their email still on the school website?)

Have a conversation with children and help them understand teachers’ roles in their lives

Do you have, or care for, children? Help them to recognise and  value their teachers’ work by helping them to write a surprise thank you note. Small gestures like this can mean the world at the end of a busy week. 

Support teachers by volunteering as a tutor 

We support schools to raise the attainment of their disadvantaged pupils through the power of volunteers. Join our mission by becoming a maths or English tutor!

We offer both in-school and online volunteer opportunities. Find out more about volunteering with Action Tutoring here.

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