On 4th January 2021, the government announced school closures for a second time to help curb the spread of Covid-19. Schools will remain closed until at least 21st February.
It’s our ambition to continue as many online tutoring programmes as possible during lockdown to support our pupils when they need it most.
Action Tutoring took the decision to pause all face to face programmes until schools reopen, supplementing missed sessions with revision days in the spring and early summer. It also intends to switch all online school programmes to home-based delivery, pending school approval. Click the link to read our full statement on the current situation.
We know that our help is needed now more than ever to support pupils, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Evidence from previous lockdowns shows that schools closing will further widen the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. We need to engage many more volunteers to ensure we can help these pupils get back to where they should be.
Please find below some FAQs on our delivery and operations relating to the crisis. If you can’t find the answer you need, please drop us an email: [email protected].
What if I only want to tutor in person?
If you wish to volunteer with us but you are not interested in tutoring online, please still apply now and start your Action Tutoring journey, to ensure you are trained and ready to support as soon as soon as schools reopen.
Can I tutor during lockdown?
Due to school closures we must pause all ‘in person’ programmes during lockdown, however it’s our ambition to continue as many online tutoring programmes as possible to support our pupils when they need it most.
We have been officially approved by the National Tutoring Programme to deliver tutoring to pupils at home. We also piloted our home-based approach, as part of a national evaluation of online tutoring delivery, in 2020. We are currently in contact with our school partners to discuss arrangements for pupils to receive home-based tutoring during the lockdown.
We are therefore still in need of volunteers to deliver online tutoring, as well as tutors to ready to deliver in person sessions when schools reopen.
Can I tutor online?
It’s our ambition to continue as many online tutoring programmes as possible during lockdown. This means you will still be able to tutor remotely, at home, from England, Scotland or Wales.
To be an online tutor with us you’ll need access to a desktop or laptop computer, a webcam and internet connection, and will need to be confident using online tools.
Please apply now via our application form if you would like to join us as an online tutor.
Will volunteers be able to be trained online?
We are now delivering training to prospective volunteers online. This is a new venture for us and we are requesting feedback from volunteers after their training sessions as usual.
If your application is successful, we will invite you to join an online training session and explain the process for completing your DBS check remotely, during the session
I don't live in any of your regions - can I still apply to be an online tutor?
Yes, you can! We launched our online tutoring platform in October 2020, meaning you can now join one of our tutoring programmes from anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales.
Please do apply via our normal online application form - you can select 'None of the above' under the 'Region' question. This means you'll be able to support as an online only tutor. We'll invite you to some online training and process your DBS for you before you get started.
Will GCSE exams and Key Stage 2 SATs still take place next summer?
Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis, summer exams in 2021 have been cancelled. You can read the full guidance on the government website.
What happened to my pupils from last academic year?
Unfortunately we do not have direct contact with the pupils but we stayed in touch with schools during lockdown to find out the best ways we could support them. For some programmes, we were able to pass along messages from tutors to their pupils via the school.
Please do remember our safeguarding policy and do not attempt to make any direct contact with your pupils from last year.
What additional measures have you put in place for home-based tutoring?
We have been officially approved by the government's National Tutoring Programme (NTP) to deliver tutoring to pupils at home. This means that we have satisfied their criteria that we can deliver effective and safe tutoring to pupils who are based at home. We also piloted our home-based approach, as part of a national evaluation of online tutoring delivery, in 2020.
We will be working very closely with our schools to ensure we have all the necessary checks and approvals in place. We will also be in regular contact with each pupil’s designated ‘responsible adult’ who will be within ‘listening distance’ while the tutoring is taking place. They will be able to support tutors with pupil engagement.
We have a specific safeguarding and child protection policy which covers our online tutoring for both school-based and home-based programmes. You can find this on our safeguarding webpage.
When will Action Tutoring be returning to schools?
We are optimistic about a return to delivery as soon as schools reopen, hopefully in the spring. We know our pupils will need our support more than ever before, to help them make up for the time they have lost. We are looking at ways to supplement the missed sessions later in the year.
We know face-to-face sessions are of high value to tutors and pupils, and we intend to resume them as soon as it is safe to do so. We will keep volunteers informed. We will have the option to deliver our regular programmes in person, with appropriate safety restrictions in place, or online depending on the schools’ requirements and the wider social restrictions as soon as schools reopen.
I might be able to source some tech for pupils, who should I contact?
We know our schools will be investigating different options to provide computer kit for their pupils but please do share information of any organisations or contacts you know who might be able to help. Please pass us the details via [email protected] and we will share the details with relevant schools.
Will pupils engage with the tutoring now that exams have been cancelled?
We will be in discussion with the teachers to make sure our sessions are focussing on the most valuable content for pupils. These young people have missed out on a lot of academic support over the last year and any additional sessions they receive will equip them with skills and knowledge for the future, regardless of the exams. If your pupils are struggling to engage, try discussing their longer term ambitions and aims then help them recognise how this work will help them to reach those goals.
We will be in regular contact with each pupil’s designated ‘responsible adult’ who will be within ‘listening distance’ while the tutoring is taking place. They will be able to support with pupil engagement and if any concerns are raised.
We will also be uploading some additional training on engagement for tutors to access on Looop by the end of January.
