Education News

New research shows glaring inequalities in tutoring

Since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted education in March 2020, tutoring has expanded significantly to help address the lost learning time. With schools shut down for months throughout multiple waves of the pandemic, the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) was introduced as a way to augment learning and help pupils, mostly those facing disadvantage, to catch up.

A new report, Tutoring: the new landscape, published by the Sutton Trust today has thrown more light on how the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the dynamics of tutoring and the persistent inequalities underlying its delivery and impact.

The report details the changes seen in both private and school-based tutoring, in the aftermath of the pandemic and examines tutoring impact, using the latest data from the Ipsos’ Young People Omnibus and recent COSMO studies.

Tutoring expansion

The data reveals that private tutoring is at its highest levels since 2005, with 30% of young people aged 11-16 receiving private tuition, up from 27% before the pandemic. Though many schools had been using the intervention prior to the introduction of the NTP, the government’s roll-out played a significant role in its growth. Before the pandemic, 10% of secondary school leaders reported tutoring was their priority for Pupil Premium spending but by 2022, this figure had more than tripled to 34%.

About 52% of young people agreed that their progress in school suffered as a result of COVID-19, with about 24% of young people reporting to have received tutoring from their school in the 2021/22 school year, up from 18% in the previous pre-pandemic year.

The significant expansion mirrors Action Tutoring’s delivery, which has more than tripled in reach today, compared to the 2019-20 academic year, in response to the rising demand for learning support during the pandemic.

Socioeconomic differences

The report also demonstrates how in-school tutoring, through the NTP, has helped to increase access to tutoring for pupils who typically would not be able to afford it.

According to the COSMO data, 32% of pupils from the most well-off households by income received private tutoring, compared to 13% for the worst-off. However, this trend is dramatically different when looking at the take-up of in-school tutoring through the NTP. About 32% of those in the worst-off households reported taking up extra tuition in school, compared to 22% in the most well-off.

Thanks to the expansion of in-school tutoring, the proportion of pupils accessing any form of tutoring is now almost level between the most and least deprived, with 39% of those from the most well-off households accessing tutoring, compared to 37% of those from the worst-off. 

The report shows how the NTP is allowing a much wider group of pupils to access tutoring, and if issues with its targeting and delivery quality can be addressed, it holds the potential to level the playing field between the most and least disadvantaged in the long term.

Geographical disparities

The report also showed the stark regional difference in the use of private tuition, with 46% of pupils in London reported to have had private tutoring, compared to 21% in Wales and 16% in the North East. London at 27% is substantially ahead of other regions in tutoring rate, compared to under 12% in the North East.

This finding reflects the existing inequalities in the geographical distribution of private tutoring across the country, however, the introduction of the NTP tipped the scale in the favour of pupils who couldn’t afford it in these areas.

The data shows that regions with the lowest rates of private tutoring, such as the North East, East Midlands, and Yorkshire, have the highest rates of in-school tutoring take-up via the NTP.

Applying recommendations

As a Tuition Partner that existed long before the NTP and advocated for its introduction, we are in full agreement with the recommendations in the report including establishing the NTP for the longer term, stricter targets for disadvantaged young people, cancelling the subsidy reduction, improving quality of content and expanding to more remote areas.

The real long-term gain of the NTP is in closing the widening attainment gap and that can only be achieved if it is embedded permanently in our education system. Many disadvantaged pupils are in need of tutoring support, and making the NTP a permanent fixture will reap long-term benefits to the nation, rather than it being a stopgap measure in education recovery efforts.

Also, re-targeting the NTP more at disadvantaged pupils is the key way to tackle the attainment gap. Reinstating and enforcing Pupil Premium targets that were scrapped by the Department of Education and introducing incentives for uptake will help keep the focus on disadvantaged pupils and ensure accountability.

The report backs our call for the NTP’s regional expansion to more remote or ‘cold spots’, where tutoring is lacking. The capacity of Tuition Partners can be supported to expand our reach to underserved areas and deliver high-quality academic support nationally, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

The report’s recommendation for the planned subsidy reduction to be rescinded is consistent with our ongoing advocacy efforts for the funding to be maintained or increased, as schools continue to battle with budget squeezes. There’s a real risk that without additional funding, rates of uptake in schools will drop sharply upending the gains made to level the playing field.

Game-changer

There is no doubt that the NTP has widened access to disadvantaged pupils, who would otherwise not be in a position to afford it.

We are at a point in our education history where the NTP could significantly narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their better-off peers.

The recommendations in the Sutton Trust report, if applied to the NTP, will be game-changing to reversing inequalities in education across England, benefitting the life chances of thousands of pupils.

Our future strategy: Narrowing the attainment gap and transforming the life outcomes of more disadvantaged young people

It’s the beginning of a new academic year. For us at Action Tutoring, it follows our year of celebrating a decade of impact as a national education charity. Reflecting on Action Tutoring’s humble beginnings, I recall convening a group of enthusiastic teachers and potential volunteers ten years ago, crammed into my living room in Peckham, to reimagine tutoring in a way that levels the playing field.

We brainstormed on how to deliver tutoring to disadvantaged children who couldn’t afford the cost of private tuition. That evening, we agreed that for this to be successful, working with volunteer tutors and forging partnerships with schools had to be at the heart of the solution – which remains true to this day.

Before the very first-ever tutoring session on a fine Saturday morning in mid-2011, our nerves were on edge at the Harris Academy in Peckham. We were unsure if pupils and even tutors would turn up, but they did. Observing the first tutoring sessions and hearing the positive feedback from the pupils afterwards, it was clear to me that there had to be an imperative to replicate what we were doing at scale across the country.

With the support of generous funders and well-wishers, who caught sight of the vision and invested in it, that’s exactly what we’ve done. We have supported 26,000 pupils with the help of over 9,000 committed, high-quality volunteer tutors from a fascinating range of backgrounds.

In the last ten years, tutoring has become a mainstay in the education system, especially with the pandemic exacerbating pre-existing education inequalities, compelling the Government to introduce the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) in 2020 to address the lost learning time and narrow the attainment gap. The NTP has been an incredible opportunity to roll out the benefits of tutoring – that we have known existed for years – on a significantly larger scale.

Action Tutoring continues to actively advocate for its extension beyond 2024 to help close the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their wealthier peers. Our long-term hope is that the NTP is embedded as a lasting feature of the education system.

What does the future look like for us?

As a highly aspirational and adaptable education charity, here are our five main priorities over the next few years, irrespective of the future of the NTP.

Reach: We want to increase the locations we work in, especially to reach more rural and coastal areas – ‘cold spots’ where finding tutors is more difficult and the attainment gap is wider. This means significantly expanding the number of schools we work with, outside of our current eight regions, to ensure we’re reaching young people that really need our help and in areas where there is much less availability of tutoring programmes like ours. 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.

Growth: There is so much need for our work, as the attainment gap remains stubbornly wide and as pupils continue to be impacted by lost learning from the pandemic. Adapting to a model that can deliver much more widely geographically gives us a springboard for further growth. Since the pandemic began, we’ve demonstrated that through our online delivery programme, it should be possible to deliver tutoring in almost any school in the country. After running pilots in new geographies this year, we aim for 30% of our delivery to be happening in ‘cold spots’ through our online model in three years.

We aim to support at least 10,000 pupils a year in three years’ time, rising to at least 12,000 a year in five years’ time. We want to be able to step up to the challenge of the attainment gap, which new data from the DfE indicates, by the end of Year 6, is at its widest since 2012.

Impact: We are proud of the record impact we’ve already demonstrated over the last few years but we want to go further. We want to drive efficiencies in our model to strengthen the impact and understand more about what elements of our model make it especially effective, all building towards a large external evaluation in five years’ time. Being evidence-based is one of our fundamental values and our priority is to keep building our evidence base of impact, especially for our online model as we expand to new areas so we’re continually reflecting on what’s working and what could be better.

Advocacy – Our role in advocacy work has been growing steadily since the pandemic. We will build on this inroad, using our experience and voice to ensure that there is a long-term legacy of the National Tutoring Programme and also, to ensure tutoring for disadvantaged pupils is permanently embedded in the education system to narrow the attainment gap. We will continue to grow our influence and contribution to policy-making with partners in the sector to positively shape young people’s futures.

Collective Fight

To achieve all the outlined medium to long-term strategies, collaboration, one of our core values, will be critical to our success. Internally, we will work together to optimise our unique talents to improve the operational and managerial performance of our programme delivery. Beyond our workforce, we will work hand in hand with sector partners, funders, schools and volunteer tutors and the wider network for the collective growth of the education sector.

I want to express my deepest appreciation to all current and former staff, tutors, and partners who’ve worked with Action Tutoring over the last ten years. I am grateful for your dedication, support and energy to help change the future of disadvantaged children.

You’ve been an absolute joy to lead and work with. I look forward to more successes with you over the coming years in this collective fight to ensure that no child’s future is limited by their socio-economic background.

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.

Celebrating World Youth Skills Day – why is it important?

World Youth Skills Day is a global awareness day that is celebrated every year on 15th July as a way to raise awareness of youth unemployment and promote the importance of providing young people with the right skills, tools and resources so that they can transform their future. 

It was celebrated for the first time in 2014 and since then, World Youth Skills Day has created an amazing opportunity for dialogue between young people and education and training institutions, organisations, firms and employers.

Why do we celebrate it?

World Youth Skills Day is a chance to shine light on the high levels of youth employment around the world and the significance of giving young people the chance they deserve to succeed in life. 

By addressing the challenges of unemployment, the goal today is to spark discussion about how to provide further opportunities to young people coming from different backgrounds so that they can feel empowered and supported. 

How exactly did it start?

It started in 2014 as a way to reduce unemployment and promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training for youth, also called TVET. 

TVET, as part of lifelong learning that can take place at secondary, post-secondary and tertiary levels and includes work-based learning and continuing training and professional development which may lead to qualifications. 

TVET also includes a wide range of skills development opportunities attuned to national and local contexts. Learning to learn, the development of literacy and numeracy skills, transversal skills and citizenship skills are integral components of TVET. This presents a lot of benefits over traditional training methods and it creates better employment opportunities, higher income levels while also increasing job satisfaction.

As a result, this brings together policymakers, training institutions, and development partners to ensure that young people -especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – are best supported.

Youth unemployment in the UK

Young people have been hit first and hardest in the labour market by COVID-19.  455,000 young people (10.8%) aged 16-24 were unemployed in February-April 2022. 

Read more: What does the EPI report show about the impact of the pandemic on disadvantaged young people?

Looking beyond COVID-19, the recovery of youth employment is more essential than ever. The government has responded to the unemployment crisis among young people by implementing different initiatives that encourage and promote employment prospects, such as the Kickstart Scheme, traineeships and employer apprenticeship incentives.

Do you want to get involved?

At Action Tutoring we have created a safe and inclusive place where our team members, tutors, pupils and teachers can feel supported, heard and empowered. 

If you could spare an hour each week to help disadvantaged young people receive the academic support they need in English and maths, apply today to join our cause.

We’d love to hear from you!

The role of tutoring in closing attainment gap – Experts share insights

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the academic attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has increased across the U.K. School closures and learning losses are likely to increase that gap to as much as 75%, according to EEF.

Tutoring remains one of the tangible and most effective tools to support learning and accelerate pupil progress in tackling this educational challenge. The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) was introduced by the Department of Education as a supportive solution to make tutoring available to pupils whose education has been affected by the pandemic. However, the NTP faced a number of challenges in the first two years that led to its inability to meet set targets and expectations.

At the just ended Festival of Education hosted annually by Wellington College in Crowthorne, a panel of education experts shared their insights and recommendations on how tutoring could be bolstered through the NTP  to live up to its objectives of narrowing the attainment gap.

The panel included Susannah Hardyman – Founder and CEO of Action Tutoring, Tom Hooper – Founder & CEO of Third Space Learning, Ian Taylor – Leader of School Performance at Academies Enterprise Trust, Sam Freedman – Senior Adviser/Senior Fellow at Ark Schools & Institute for Government, with opening remarks on the highlights of the Levelling Up Tutoring report by Baz Ramaiah – Senior Associate at The Centre for Education and Youth. The session was moderated by Mary Myatt – education adviser, writer and speaker.

Is tutoring the only solution?

Tutoring is a central part of our education system, with the new CfEY report stating that 70% of respondents want the NTP to continue beyond the time limit and 50% are calling for a radical redesign of the intervention. 

Susannah believes tutoring is not the only, but a major solution in closing the attainment gap, especially as the pandemic has exacerbated that disparity. “Tutoring is not the sole solution to solving the attainment gap but a really important part. We have to improve equitability in tutoring by ensuring that the NTP focuses on those who need it the most, which are disadvantaged children.” 

“Without some form of better measure, pupil targeting, funding and other proper structures to collectively support tutoring, the NTP may not stand the chance of leaving a strong legacy in the system to narrow the attainment gap,” she added.

Cost vs. quality

In his submission, Sam said the procurement team for the management of the NTP prioritised the cost component over quality in its decision to choose Randstad. Tom added that there was no marked engagement with schools before the NTP procurement. “For schools and tuition providers, there was zero concession which affected the implementation and outcomes.”

Bottom – top approach

Ian suggested that DfE needs to find a balance between a central, national open source system and local management in running the NTP. “It is advisable to tackle aspects of it locally because of the complexities. We’ve got to trust schools more because they know their institutions and pupils better than national providers. Trust them to choose tutoring providers, local tutors and experts themselves and monitor using both local and national quality assurance checks.”

“If it is top-down approach using national providers, then the quality assurance has to be very high by capturing the feedback from schools on tuition providers using technology. We have to choose an approach to help with accountability and direction.”

Integrating online tutoring

Drawing from lessons of the pandemic, Susannah advocated for the integration of online tutoring along with the face-to-face delivery to reach more remote communities, expand accessibility and improve convenience of teaching.  “One of the errors made by the DfE is the directive that schools should revert to face-to-face tutoring. Online delivery has helped us recruit more tutors beyond the traditional pool, including retirees and corporate employees, who rely on online delivery to teach pupils.”

“There is a huge amount of untapped potential there and there should be guidance on online tutoring as it will attract diverse tutors to help tackle the attainment gap in areas where it is harder to recruit tutors.”

Tom supported the online delivery model because it helps to fill the gap and match the huge demand for tutors to close the attainment gap. “If you want to solve the attainment gap, looking at the volume of children you need to work with, you have to bring in a new supply of tutors. It is impossible to actually scale up to the size of helping the over 2 million children who qualify for pupil premium without considering additional tutoring delivery models.”

Attracting tutors

Susannah believes that raising the credibility of tutoring as a profession will help attract more people.

There is a huge potential to strengthen the link between tutoring and teaching, including supporting tutors who want to become teachers. This will raise the profile and competence of tutors when they see a path to teaching, if in line with their career goals.

Ian recommended that creating a network of local schools to share best practices, and experiences can help improve tutoring quality. In conclusion, Baz summarised the key takeaways from the session, calling for the support of schools to  build long term partnerships with tuition partners and support organisations, create more accessibility for young people to benefit from tutoring and restore and maintain the Pupil Premium targets to keep the focus on disadvantaged pupils.

The consensus that a combination of these recommendations and several other solutions outlined in the CfEY report would collectively ensure that the NTP is entrenched in the education system and leave a positive, long-term legacy of narrowing the attainment gap.

Do you have an hour to spare each week to help disadvantaged pupils reach their potential in school?

Levelling up tutoring report release in partnership with CfEY

Action Tutoring is proud to have partnered with the CfEY (The Centre for Education and Youth) and two other Tutoring Providers, Third Space Learning and Trinity White Rose Maths, on identifying how the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), one of the most ambitious English educational policies, should be evolved to ensure its long-term success.

Read more about the NTP here. 

The research draws on the results of a survey of 185 school and trust leaders and teachers (carried out from April to May 2022), as well as 27 interviews with school and trust leaders, senior figures at the Department for Education (DfE), and others with research and policy expertise.  

We are now delighted to share the findings of this research and hope it contributes to effective policy planning in the future.

You can find the full report here. 

Why is this research important?

Evidence clearly shows that tutoring has the potential to support academic catch-up, close the attainment gap and support the government in raising literacy and numeracy standards in order to meet their announced 2030 education targets. 

However, introducing and maintaining large-scale national programmes in primary and secondary schools can be challenging. Even with the best intentions and foresight, financial and political considerations can be a barrier to effective impact. Our goal is for a successful long term in-school tutoring strategy, therefore it is important that we consider the obstacles and carefully plan future policies accordingly. 

As the NTP draws to the end of its second year, this report comes at a timely juncture for building on what’s already been achieved. Five key design principles underpin the approach of the report: 

1. Scaffolded autonomy: Schools want (and need) autonomy to procure and deploy tutors as they see fit. But to do this effectively they need a constellation of support services around them, which can be gradually removed over time. 

2. Simple and accountable: Many barriers to the uptake and impact of the NTP relate to overly complex funding and accountability models. Simplification of these elements would attract schools to in-school tutoring. 

3. Stable and adaptive: Frequent changes to the NTP have undermined its delivery and impact. Consistency over time, while responding to evaluations of the programme for continuous improvement, would resolve this issue. 

4. Equitable and targeted: The focus of the tutoring in schools policy needs to be on reaching disadvantaged young people, without creating an unfair workload for teachers or resulting in exploitative labour market practices with tutors. 

5. Evidence building and applying: To support the ongoing continuous improvement of the NTP and tutoring in schools policy, rigorous, wide- ranging evaluation must be woven into the fabric of the programme. 

Building on this, the report then focuses the recommendations around three key timeframes:

1. Improving the impact of the NTP through incremental changes.

2. Embedding tutoring in schools in the long term by growing a targeted supply of tutors and improving the quality of in-school tutoring. 

3. Transforming tutoring in schools with a long term view, by creating a large self-sustaining supply of high-quality tutors.

Key findings 

Firstly, the research piece brought to light the importance of funding the NTP over a longer period so it can have a bigger impact and achieve its goals. In particular, 70% of respondents said that they believe the NTP should continue for at least a year longer than is currently planned. 

Although schools need tutoring to work as an intervention, they require continuous support in order to better integrate tutoring programmes. The report mentions that for many schools the enrolment process had been a “bureaucratic nightmare’’. 

It is also essential to build a larger and consistent group of tutors that will continue to provide high quality tuition to those who need it the most. This is needed the most in parts of the country where private and in-school tutoring are less common, such as the North East, since parents and teachers were less confident in the value of tutoring as an intervention.

It’s interesting to note that only 6% of the survey respondents said that they do not believe the NTP needs to be changed at all. This clearly shows the urgent need for modifications that will allow the NTP to have greater success. 

Future recommendations 

Schools in deprived areas with financial deficits have been unable to fund the school-level contribution needed to cover the costs of tutoring programmes, as funding changes between years one and two have made the programme feel unpredictable and difficult to plan around for those participating. Therefore, the government must fund the NTP for a longer period of time to ensure it achieves its goals.

The DfE should improve school staff members’ understanding of effective tutoring approaches to deploying and working with tutors, through additional content in the Early Careers Framework, National Professional Qualifications, and other professional learning programmes. 

What’s also needed is for the NTP to prioritise remote tutoring, in order to access more tutors. Remote engagement can be particularly significant for cold spot areas, where tutoring is unavailable.

Finally, despite the current issues the NTP is facing, Levelling Up Tutoring shows a positive attitude towards tutoring. The recommendations mentioned in the report must be implemented rapidly so we can take a step towards closing the attainment gap and create a fairer, more inclusive education system in England. 

Concluding in the afterword, Action Tutoring CEO alongside leaders from Third Space Learning and Trinity White Rose Maths, commented:

“While there has been frustration over and criticism of parts of the NTP, we should recognise that a fairer view needs to also commend the speed of action and scale of funding that the DfE put in place in late 2020 when the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on learning and, notably, the attainment gap became clear.

As the programme has evolved, feedback from schools and Tuition Providers has played an increasing role in shaping the development of the programme. This is to be welcomed. The scale, innovation and success that we are all aiming for with the NTP must be shaped by teachers in schools across the country, and the organisations supporting them, who know what real-world success looks like… ​​

We firmly believe that the NTP has the long-term potential to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to narrow the attainment gap. We are committed to working with schools and the DfE to ensure it can achieve this crucial goal.”

United Nations’ International Day of Education 2022

What is the International Day of Education?

Covid-19 has exacerbated ongoing education inequalities in the UK and as a result, the academic progress of many pupils has been disrupted. That’s why 24th January has been assigned by the United Nations General Assembly as the day to raise awareness of the importance of education.

The theme of the International Day of Education 2022 is ‘Changing Course, Transforming Education’, highlighting the urgent need to prioritise the recovery of education after Covid-19. The goal today is to spark discussion about how to provide quality education, ensure learning continuity for all pupils, and to support teachers.

In the UK, evidence shows that pupils from low-income families are less likely to perform well academically in school. This limits their opportunities to access higher education, training or employment.

Studies also show that children from low-income households are more likely to suffer from poor social and emotional skills. This leads to greater social inequalities as they become adults.

Why do we celebrate it?

Education is a powerful tool that not only affects job possibilities in the future, but also influences a variety of other outcomes, such as our general health and happiness.

While education is provided for all pupils in UK schools, those who come from low-income backgrounds may be at greater risk of digital disadvantage, social isolation, and anxiety; all of which can lead to mental health issues. These challenges require our immediate attention and response.

The International Day of Education is an opportunity for us all to raise awareness and remind ourselves and others of the significant role that education has in our lives. We can all play our part to support those less fortunate than us. In order to achieve education equality in the UK, as well as across the world, it is essential to offer a fair start to all pupils.

At Action Tutoring, we believe that inclusive and equal education opportunities for all children no matter their socioeconomic status, leads to a brighter future for everyone. We are proud to have created a strong community of inspiring volunteers, who are crucial in our mission to reach more disadvantaged pupils and offer tailored academic support.

To reach even more pupils, we need more volunteers.

Books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution.

Malala Yousafzai

While teachers work hard to establish a new a new post-pandemic ‘normal’, learning inequalities are likely to deepen if we don’t take the necessary steps. Simply reopening schools after lockdown is not sufficient; pupils need tailored and sustained support to help them adapt after the pandemic.

Much more work needs to be done to ensure disadvantaged children receive additional support that encourages them to re-engage in learning activities. It is time to act to support the future of this generation.

How can you help?

Tutor with us

You can join our mission by becoming a volunteer tutor in English and maths and helping lower the attainment gap.

Read more: John Uren describes his experience with Action Tutoring as a volunteer 

We offer in-person tutoring programmes and for those with busy schedules, our online programmes are available so you can still get involved and be a part of our mission.

Spread the word

You can also help by sharing this post on social media to raise awareness and inspire others who might be interested to volunteer as a tutor with us. Disadvantaged pupils need our help more than ever, so let’s give them the opportunity to have a supportive learning environment.

Volunteering as a tutor is a crucial step to guarantee a fairer world and sustainable future for everyone. After all, education is a human right, a public benefit, and a public responsibility.

Spotlight on Bristol: Action Tutoring’s third biggest region

Continuing our spotlight series on Action Tutoring cities, we come to the brilliant Bristol. We partnered with our first school in Bristol in 2014 and volunteers from across the city have been joining us ever since to support our mission to help disadvantaged pupils in the city to succeed.

A third of children are living in poverty in Bristol – ten school children out of a class of 30 – according to new data. The city has the highest levels of child poverty across the whole South West region. Evidently, even in areas where there are prestigious universities and more options for young people, the residents of cities are not necessarily benefiting. 

Young people from affluent areas are six times more likely to get places at the most selective universities. In Bristol, only one in 60 disadvantaged young people goes to a highly-selective university.

We believe that increased academic performance and good grades can be one of the most effective ways out of poverty for these young people and this will require a more redistributive approach to spreading education. 

Action Tutoring supports schools right across this hilly city, from Oldland Common to Stoke Gifford.

Fun fact about Bristol: Ribena was invented just outside Bristol. The popular blackcurrant soft drink gained popularity during the Second World War as an alternative source of Vitamin C.

With lots of programmes to deliver, we need plenty of budding volunteers to get involved. We are very fortunate that we partner with several businesses in the city, including DAC Beachcroft and Arup, whose employees volunteer with us. All of our volunteers have a positive impact on the education of disadvantaged pupils across the UK’s first cycling city.

Why volunteer with us?

We’re not standing still. We need more volunteers to ensure we can reach as many pupils as possible this year. There are many benefits to volunteering with Action Tutoring, from gaining professional experience and making your CV stand out to meeting other like-minded volunteers who share the same values as you.

Your help is more essential than ever in reducing the attainment gap and making sure pupils from deprived communities have access to quality education. 

Here you can find the schools we work with in Bristol. If one of them is accessible for you, why not get in touch with us so you can help support pupils who need you?

Nimantha is just one of our many volunteers in Bristol who tutored with us last academic year and has joined us again this year. As a university student, he can easily fit his tutoring sessions around his studies. As well as learning new skills, Nimantha is making a real difference to people’s lives:

I would highly recommend tutoring because you’re making a real difference to people’s lives by helping them reach their aspirations. Whatever level you tutor at, the pupils will be extremely grateful to you for devoting some of your time to pass on your knowledge.

Nimantha, Action Tutoring volunteer tutor, Bristol

If you live in this great city and would like to volunteer, our fantastic team in Bristol consists of Gemma, Alice, Lilah, Matt and Chloe. They will support you every step of the way and ensure that you have the best volunteering experience.

Spotlight on Chester: Going from strength to strength in one of Action Tutoring’s newer cities

We want to reach as many pupils as possible to progress academically and so we were thrilled to expand into Chester earlier this year.

Chester is a vibrant city with important history (the best surviving Roman wall in Northern Europe), entertainment (Chester Zoo is the most visited wildlife attraction in the UK) and the oldest racecourse in the country and Britain’s oldest sporting venue in continual use.

As one of our newer regions, we started supporting young people in the area in early 2021 during the midst of the second Covid lockdown. It wasn’t an easy start as all the programmes had to begin online and with pupils logging in from home, while schools were such. However, delivery has gone from strength to strength since then.

Free school meals are available to children who have parents receiving benefits or are on incomes of less than £7,400 – so an increase in the number of children on free school meals can be an indicator of declining living standards. Evidence shows that pupils from low income families are less likely to perform well in school, since there are more obstacles in the way of their academic progress (such as lack of access to technology or extra resources).
Accessible tuition in areas like Chester is more important than ever. Our volunteer tutors are committed to making a difference and helping young people reach their full potential. With the help of our Programme Coordinators and the workbooks we provide, they are equipped to make tutoring sessions interesting and engaging.
We pride ourselves on our evidence-based approach to supporting pupils, using baseline assessments and progress checks to monitor the impact our tutoring is having and capturing the final exam results of our pupils and comparing against the national average for disadvantaged pupils.

The first schools we supported were in Helsby and Leftwich rather than in Chester city centre and because the programmes were online, it allowed pupils in these slightly more remote locations to experience the benefits of tutoring.

Fun fact: James Bond was born in Chester, well the current one was, Daniel Craig was born on 2nd March 1968.

Working with multiple schools across England has helped us recognise the needs of schools and better understand the demands and pressures that schools are under, especially after the pandemic. We are excited to continue building stronger relationships with schools and help them provide sustainable academic support to those who need it.

We do more than just tutor. Our volunteers also serve as role models, motivating pills to overcome learning barriers and achieve their potential in life.

‘’The flexibility and desire to accommodate and work with our staff and pupils prior to and throughout the pandemic has been first rate. Communication and clarity of intent have always been clear and acted on swiftly, ensuring staff and pupils have been brilliantly supported. The commitment and desire to develop and advance our pupils has been superb.’’

Bohunt Worthing, Assistant Headteacher 

We’re committed to ensuring more and more pupils can receive the education they deserve. Here you can find more information about schools partnering with us.

As one of our newer regions, we are working hard to grow our volunteer tutor community in the area and are keen to engage more volunteers locally to support on our face-to-face programmes.

Are you interested in finding out more about volunteering with Action Tutoring? Read Nichola’s experience here!

Working closely with teachers, our Programme Coordinators are on hand to oversee delivery, manage any issues that may occur during our online or in-person tutoring sessions. They are all passionate about educational equality and work hard to ensure pupils gain the most from their tutoring sessions with our volunteers.

We are well represented in the region by our programme coordinators in Chester, the excellent Cathy, who has been with Action Tutoring since August 2020 and the awesome Anna, who also joined us in 2020. Cathy grew up in the North West and is a fully qualified teacher whilst Anna was previously a trainer in safeguarding.

Always welcoming, Cathy and Anna need your support. So, if you live in Chester, are passionate about supporting young people and looking for a new and rewarding volunteering opportunity, sign up to tutor in our schools today.

Spotlight on Nottingham: The birthplace of Torvill and Dean and where Action Tutoring has been supporting disadvantaged pupils since 2019

Nottingham. Birthplace of Torvill and Dean. Home to Raleigh Bikes. And since autumn 2019, where Action Tutoring has been supporting disadvantaged pupils to reach their potential.

Do you want to read more about how our tutoring programmes work? Here you’ll find all the details! 

Many people believe there is very little child poverty in the UK today, but this is not the case.

Over the past two years, we have been working with schools in Nottingham to support the city’s disadvantaged pupils. Sadly, Nottingham has high levels of deprivation. It ranks eleventh out of the 317 districts in England – we wanted to help tackle this issue.

Children who grow up in poverty lack many of the experiences and opportunities that others take for granted. Providing quality education to disadvantaged pupils can greatly increase their chances of breaking the poverty cycle and create a better future for themselves and their families.

There is a growing concern that the disadvantage gap in education may increase even more in schools as more and more pupils fall into longer term poverty.

Early intervention is important to ensure pupils have the right learning foundation to continue their education. That’s why we are delighted to partner with schools in Nottingham and help them best support primary and secondary pupils.

Studies have shown that Government efforts to “level up” funding for education have resulted in Nottingham schools missing out. The report found almost 60% of the most deprived fifth of schools had seen a real terms reduction in Government funding since 2017-18.

Our tailored tuition supports partner schools in Nottingham to provide further academic support in maths and English to their disadvantaged pupils.

Our volunteer tutors have been going into schools and working directly with pupils from a range of backgrounds, who have greatly benefited from small group tuition.

Fun fact about Nottingham: The UK’s first radio phone-in took place on Radio Nottingham in 1968. It’s ‘thought topic’ was on pest control. 

Those who have been joining us for face-to-face tutoring have expressed not only how much they have enjoyed supporting our pupils, but also how much they have also benefited from volunteering with Action Tutoring. Tutors have learned new skills, gained tutoring experience and had the opportunity to give back to their local community.

Our work has even drawn the interest of local Nottingham MPs. Year 6 pupils at a local primary school were awash with excitement when Alex Norris, MP for Nottingham North, visited their programme last year. Being able to demonstrate the progress they had made in subject knowledge; study skills and confidence was a fantastic opportunity.

In 2021-22, we will be continuing our work, supporting young people across eight schools over 15 programmes.

“We can’t wait to get started. As programme coordinators, we love seeing the progression pupils make throughout the year – our end of programme celebrations are always a highlight. We come together – pupils, staff and tutors – to celebrate everything that has been achieved.”
Sam Paterson, Programme Coordinator for Nottingham

We couldn’t be more proud of our volunteers in Nottingham who are committed to our cause and help us reduce the attainment gap one pupil at a time. The help of our tutors can have a significant impact on the pupils’ academic performance, which has been affected by school closures during lockdown.

More studies from the EPI annual report reveal that disadvantaged secondary school pupils in Nottinghamshire are more than 18 months behind their better-off peers.

Researchers at the EPI said a rise in persistent poverty had stunted progress in closing the gap nationally over the last five years, with the poorest GCSE students still an average of 18.1 months behind.

There is now abundant evidence that poverty and social vulnerability require urgent action both in and outside of school.

Jo Hutchinson, report author and director of social mobility and vulnerable learners at the EPI

And we need your help to make all this possible. The pandemic has had a massive impact on young people’s education and here in Nottingham, we need your support with face-to-face tutoring.

Sign up today to be an in-person tutor and be part of something special or recommend us to a friend.

Do you want to read more about volunteering as a tutor with us? Read Sam’s experience, a student volunteer from the University of Nottingham here and learn how supporting others can also be highly rewarding for you! 

« Previous Page — Next Page »