Schools

North Birmingham Academy

Action Tutoring has been working with North Birmingham Academy since September 2024 to support their Year 11 pupils in English and maths.

Here is what Jobe Swingler, Assistant Headteacher, says about the partnership:

Our partnership with Action Tutoring began with the goal of addressing the achievement gap. Many of our disadvantaged students don’t have access to private tutoring outside of school, so we wanted to ensure that they had the same opportunities for extra support. By offering small group tutoring, we aim to boost their academic outcomes and give them the best possible chance to succeed.

Action Tutoring has proven to be an invaluable resource, providing skilled and dependable tutors on a large scale—precisely the kind of support our students need to thrive. The charity’s approach is effective, and our students respond positively to the personalised attention they receive.

What I particularly value about Action Tutoring is their adaptability and responsiveness. For example, the Maths resources were tailored to better align with our teaching methods, and I was included in discussions about how the charity tracks student progress through baseline and progress assessments. From the CEO to the programme managers, coordinators, and volunteer tutors, everyone at Action Tutoring is fully dedicated to supporting our students. Their commitment makes a real difference in the academic development of our pupils.

At North Birmingham Academy, we are deeply committed to improving the academic outcomes for our disadvantaged Year 11 students, particularly in English and maths, and Action Tutoring is a vital partner in helping us achieve this goal.

Erika, Headteacher at Dalmain Primary School

Action Tutoring has been working with Dalmain Primary school in south London since autumn 2018, supporting their Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. 

The Headteacher, Erika Eisele, reflects on the partnership:

I worked with Action Tutoring at my previous school and was certain that I wanted to work with them at Dalmain too. Their impact is huge and the confidence the children gain from this intensive and highly focused work is second to none. The budget implications are small when considering the quality of practitioner and enormous impact all of the tutors have on our children.

Giving the children this time to pre-teach or consolidate learning gives them an enormous boost in confidence and understanding. Being in a smaller, bespoke group allows children the opportunity to ask questions, go at their own pace and have that intensive interaction with a skilled adult which makes all the difference to outcomes. The progress we have seen as a result of Action Tutoring’s programme has been incredible in outcomes and confidence.

Action Tutoring’s programme aligns very well with our school’s curriculum and in-class teaching goals. The charity takes the time to get to know the school, the needs of the children and our priorities. Coupled with their exceptional understanding of the curriculum and child development, children excel under their care.

I would describe the quality of the tutoring provided, in terms of tutor expertise and professionalism, as absolutely exceptional in all areas.

I would recommend Action Tutoring to other schools without question. I would recommend them for their impact, the confidence they instil in children every year, their flexibility to find the right approach so that each child can excel, their professionalism and for the amazing progress children make as a direct result of their tuition.

I’d also like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to the volunteer tutors for all that they do – please know the enormous impact you have and the difference you make every session with our children and for their life chances.

Paul, Headteacher at King Ecgbert School

Action Tutoring has been working with King Ecgbert School in Sheffield since autumn 2020. The charity has supported the school’s Year 7, 10 and 11 pupils with their English and maths education. Volunteer tutors from across the city attend the programmes each week to help the pupils with their learning. Here’s what Paul Haigh, headteacher at the school, had to say about working with Action Tutoring.

We started working with Action Tutoring as we wanted to help close the attainment gap. Many of our advantaged children already have access to tutors out of school that their parents pay for. We wanted to level the playing field and ensure as many of our pupils who are facing disadvantage could also benefit from 1:1 and small group tutoring, to help improve their outcomes.

Action Tutoring is a really great organisation, in fact I often recommend it to other schools! It’s a charity that can deliver reliable and expert tutors at scale. Exactly the right kind of people who can help our children and who they respond well to. Asking pupils to stay behind school when their friends are going home isn’t easy but the fact they do so willingly and commit to the session shows how much they value it.

I often look around our sixth form and know there are pupils that would not have got there without Action Tutoring. Some of them are now looking at university as their next step.

Charlotte Bowyer, Assistant Headteacher, added:

We started with Year 10 and 11 pupils, to help them secure good and strong passes in their English Language and maths GCSEs. In our third year working with Action Tutoring we added a Year 7 programme which supports our school objectives of closing the gap from the start of secondary school. 

I really value how reflective and responsive Action Tutoring is. For example, the English Language booklet was adapted to match exam questions more closely and I was invited to be part of a conversation on how baselines and progress checks are used by the Action Tutoring team. Everyone in the organisation, from the CEO to the regional programme managers, the local programme coordinators and the volunteer tutors are dedicated to supporting pupils who are facing disadvantage and they go out of their way to make the difference.

Jenny, Headteacher at Walkergate Community School

Action Tutoring have been partnered with Walkergate Community School in Newcastle since autumn 2021. Here’s what Jenny, the Headteacher, had to say about the importance of tutoring we caught up with her in 2023:

Badock’s Wood E-ACT Academy

Badock’s Wood E-ACT Academy is a primary school in Bristol. For the 2022-23 academic year, 64% of pupils were eligible for pupil premium with 40% learning English as Additional Language (EAL).

Of the 20 pupils who were on our maths programme in the 2022-23 academic year, 19 representing (95%) achieved the expected standard in their SATs. There was no attainment gap recorded as all 14 pupils eligible for Pupil Premium achieved expected standards in maths.

Here is what deputy headteacher, Gemma Hewson, had to say:

We realised there was a need for additional support for pupils and also for school staff, as they were teaching from 8am Monday to Wednesday in bigger groups. Action Tutoring was brought in to provide small-group support with their tutors.

In terms of pupils needs [at Key stage 2], our school focuses a lot on numbers – fractions, decimals and percentages. We found that, especially after Covid, we were having to go back and plug in gaps around things like shapes, that were harder to teach when we switched to virtual learning. Working with Action tutoring meant that tutors can focus on bridging those gaps and they’re doing it through games and being engaging.

We had a pupil join the school with poor attendance, low self-confidence, and working below expected standard. It took us a while to get him to start attending tutoring sessions but when he did, he had an instant bond with his tutor. His attendance, attitude and performance gradually started to improve. Being able to relate to his tutor made such a difference and he went on to meet expected standards.

Tutoring has improved engagement because pupils feel more confident doing their maths and speaking up in class. With a high percentage of pupils [on the programme last year] learning English as a second language, accessing tutoring and working in those small groups helped with their confidence in English so they would engage more in class.

I will advise schools to look at the marginal gains, analyse the gaps and use tutoring to fill them. Action Tutoring has enabled us to plug those foundational gaps including mental arithmetic. Their Programme Coordinator [assigned to each school] works with us to figure out those gaps and then decide what tutors should focus on, which means we’re not duplicating efforts and we have everything covered.

White Meadows Primary Academy

Action Tutoring has been working with White Meadows Primary Academy since autumn 2020, supporting its Year 5 and 6 pupils with maths. In the 2022-23 academic year, 38.6% of pupils were eligible for Pupil Premium funding, rising to 48% for the Year 6 cohort.

Deputy headteacher, Jon Parsons, sheds more light on the impact of tutoring on pupils:

Last academic year, the school selected pupils who were not on track to meet expected standard in maths at the start of Year 6 for the Action Tutoring programme. A small number of pupils chosen for the programme were working towards expected standard but many were working at lower than expected standard, with some lagging behind as much as a year from where the school would expect them to be at that stage.

Small group tutoring meant pupils built relationships with their tutors quickly. They loved having an hour a week with an adult that wasn’t a parent or teacher. The instant feedback on areas they needed to work on, addressing misconceptions and supporting their learning were powerful. You can’t underestimate the role that tutoring plays in building confidence.

The impact of Action Tutoring’s maths programme at White Meadows in 2022-23 was truly fantastic. With all 20 pupils achieving the expected standard, it meant the Pupil Premium pupils on the programme reached the same standard as the non-Pupil Premium peers on the programme and therefore closing the attainment gap for the cohort.

Online tutoring has worked really well for White Meadows, enabling us to tap into external provision and provide additional capacity. The pupils find it exciting to log in to their virtual classrooms. The feedback and teaching is just as impactful as it would be face to face and getting used to online learning is a vital skill that these pupils are likely to need in the future.

The tutoring support works well because of Action Tutoring’s dedicated Programme Coordinators, who are crucial liaisons between the school and tutors. They ensure that tutors are really focusing on areas pupils need support in the most and drawing on teacher knowledge. It is great to see how pupils look forward to their tutoring sessions, arriving eagerly and enthusiastically to learn.

Sandy McNicholl, Deputy Head, Ambler Primary School

Action Tutoring has been working with Ambler Primary School since autumn 2018. 

“Action Tutoring was recommended by the network of schools who received funding from the Richard Reeves Foundation. All the schools involved in the consortium chose Action Tutoring to deliver tutoring to Year 6 pupils. Our Pupil Premium numbers have dropped over the last few years and currently 24% of the school fits this category. However we are very aware of the factors that affect our families leading to hidden deprivation – families who do not claim benefits due to a number of different circumstances. In addition we have a large number of EAL (English as an additional language) children, with over 53 languages spoken in the school. This is certainly a factor that affects attainment. Covid-19 has had a big impact on our school community with some families leaving the UK; children affected by death in the family; some families too scared to send their children into school and families without the IT facilities or the knowledge to support children with remote learning.

The first lockdown in March 2020 has impacted children academically but also mentally and emotionally. The majority of children really enjoy the opportunity to work with a tutor in pairs. The tutors work very hard to build positive relationships with the children. The data from previous years has shown the children all to make progress over the academic year. [We have] nothing but praise for Action Tutoring! The communication between myself and the lead is fantastic. They really know the children and always flag up any concerns if they see pairs of children not working well or just individuals who are not working so hard or are distracted. I think it is an extremely valuable resource and I am delighted to continue working with Action Tutoring. I value the hard work and dedication of the volunteer tutors and the fact that they are so reliable. The delivery of sessions face to face has been exemplary.” 

Sandy McNicholl, Deputy Head, Ambler Primary School

Prendergast Vale School

Action Tutoring has been working with Prendergast Vale School since spring 2017, supporting its Year 10 and 11 pupils with English and maths.

“Overall the tutors that we’ve had from Action Tutoring have been really good quality. They’ve been really receptive to feedback and they’ve been really passionate about the subjects they’re tutoring and about working with the young people. I know that our pupils have benefited greatly from working with them and have had really positive things to say. We discuss the work we’re doing in class with the tutors and Action Tutoring, so that they can link in with it through the tutoring. The pupils will also provide feedback to the tutors on the areas that they’re struggling with so that the tutoring can be tailored to their needs. The tutors are external role models for our pupils. It’s key for them to see people from different walks of life and that’s really shown with Action Tutoring and the variety of tutors we get. They’re all really positive about the subjects they teach and our pupils respond really well to that. If I could describe the Action Tutoring tutors in one word I would use the word ‘passionate’.

This year we’ve moved to online tutoring, for obvious reasons, and it’s been a seamless experience for our pupils. We’ve had face to face tutoring from Action Tutoring for the past few years and this year the technology and the platform that Action Tutoring use for online has worked really well. The pupils have been really positive about the online tutoring and have been really grateful that it’s still been able to happen despite the circumstances we’ve found ourselves in. I would definitely recommend Action Tutoring to other schools. At Prendergast Vale they’ve made a massive difference to our pupils so I could not recommend them highly enough. I would definitely say that Action Tutoring represents value for money: the progress that our pupils make and the confidence that they build is definitely worth the money.” 

Mark Shaw, Interim Deputy Headteacher, Prendergast Vale School