Our Reach: Sheffield

Why volunteer as a tutor in Sheffield

The Steel City is home to the Arctic Monkeys and the only city in the UK that has a national park located in it (the famous Peak District). As one of the greenest cities in the UK, It’s also the fourth biggest city in England. The estimated population is 556,500.

Around one in four of these live in poverty at any one time. A family is defined as in low income if it earns less than 60% of the national median household income, before housing costs are considered. In April 2022, a record number of Sheffield children living in poverty was recorded; 26.4% of all children in the area. 

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). This limits their opportunities later in life, whether they’re applying for apprenticeships, studying A-Levels or seeking employment. Action Tutoring is committed to improving the academic outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We have been working with schools in Sheffield to support the city’s disadvantaged pupils since 2014. In 2021, we expanded this reach to include schools in Rotherham and Chesterfield. In Rotherham, almost one in three children were estimated to be living in poverty in 2018. 

Action Tutoring is committed to improving the academic outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, demonstrated through our impact data. Read on to find out how you can support these children by volunteer tutoring in Sheffield.

Tutoring helps. It’s normally linked to what you do in lessons so you can go into lessons being more confident on things. It helps with getting more fixed in my head so I know what to write about when it comes to exams. Tutoring boosts you a lot, especially in exams.

Bella, Year 11 pupil, King Ecgbert School 

Action Tutoring in Sheffield, Rotherham and Chesterfield

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. Since launching in Sheffield in 2014, we have been working with volunteers to deliver tutoring programmes in a number of schools.

We do more than just tutor. Our volunteers also serve as role models, motivating pupils to overcome learning barriers and achieve their potential in life. We are working hard to grow our volunteer tutor community in Sheffield, Rotherham and Chesterfield and are keen to engage more volunteers locally to support our face-to-face programmes.

By tutoring in Sheffield for just one hour a week, you will directly support disadvantaged pupils to build their confidence and help ensure they leave school with the grades needed to build a bright future, as well as developing your own skills. 

I gained valuable experience of working with pupils in Year 6 tutoring in Sheffield.. This enabled me to develop my communication skills and gain a true insight into how they learn various topics, as well as listen to their interpretations on not only academics, but life too. Overall, this experience was very rewarding and inspired me to pursue a degree in education!

Rachel Adams, volunteer in Sheffield

Some of our current volunteering opportunities in Sheffield take place with pupils from the following partner schools:

Find out more information about becoming a volunteer or partnering as a school in Sheffield.

Sheffield Programme Team

• Rachael Galletly (Northern Programme Manager)
• Rachel Taylor (Senior Programme Coordinator for Sheffield)