Volunteers

Sara, volunteer tutor and student at University of Nottingham

Here is what Sara says about her experience tutoring:

I have experience volunteering with organizations that work with children, but I wanted to engage more deeply in teaching because I believe education is fundamental. I am passionate about sharing knowledge and fostering a love of learning. Moreover, I find it incredibly rewarding to connect with a diverse range pupils and contribute to their academic growth.

My confidence has improved significantly, not only while tutoring the pupils but also through meetings with my placement manager and programme coordinators. My communication skills have greatly enhanced, particularly in effectively communicating with children, using intonations, and through providing constant praise. Additionally, my planning and organization skills have ameliorated as I try to balance university life as a final year student along with my volunteering commitments. 

I had a pupil who was initially reluctant to participate. I worked with the programme coordinator; together, we identified her interests and hobbies, which I incorporated into our warm-up sessions. This significantly improved her comfort level and eagerness to learn. She now actively participates and speaks up with confidence. Conversely, another pupil was very enthusiastic and would often shout out answers, hindering others from engaging. He has learned the importance of patience and waiting for his turn. He now reminds his peers to raise their hands and also encourages them to share their answers. 

I can see the positive changes in my pupils – some have gained confidence, others have developed patience, and some have become kinder to their peers. They have made significant progress academically, with fewer spelling and pronunciation errors compared to when they started. A few pupils totally disliked the subject however through the positive and engaging learning environment, they look forward to the sessions – we also play games related to the subject they are learning, which is a motivating factor for them!

Working with children at Action Tutoring has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Upon joining, tutors participate in a comprehensive induction process where we learn about our roles and expectations. We are provided with detailed session templates and answer guides, ensuring we have the resources needed to take the sessions. Additionally, Action Tutoring offers ‘Bright Ideas’—bite-sized online training modules covering various topics such as engaging pupils and fostering a growth mindset. There are also training webinars that teach us how to tutor, which are invaluable for gaining experience. You can start tutoring with Grade 5 or 6, where the material is more basic, allowing you to build confidence before moving on to tutor secondary pupils.

As a university student, I chose online tutoring to save travel time. My university was very supportive and adjusted my timetable to accommodate tutoring. It’s crucial to plan and select programmes that are manageable to ensure consistency for the pupils. The cover tutoring system is also beneficial in maintaining continuous support for students.

Wendy, volunteer tutor and retired teacher

Wendy has recently retired as an Assistant Headteacher. She was head of sixth form and an English teacher for 22 years. The one thing that Wendy missed more than anything else was working with students and being able to work one-to-one with students was always important to her. And so when she retired, she thought about perhaps tutoring. When Wendy discovered Action Tutoring, it was a real way for her to be able to give something back.

This is what Wendy says about tutoring with Action Tutoring:

I tutor at a secondary school in Birmingham. I’ve got two boys just coming up to their GCSEs and it’s been really rewarding being able to work with those two students.

I think the main thing is when you leave teaching, people joke around, saying “oh, you’re going to have all this free time,” but you find yourself missing certain elements of teaching that you can’t find anywhere else. What’s really interesting about tutoring is that it’s a way of keeping in touch with the reasons why I became a teacher in the first place. I wanted to help my students and there was nothing better than getting their results and seeing that what you had done had had an impact. So I’m going into a school I’ve not been to before, meeting new students and gaining their trust. And it’s all those skills that you’ve developed over the years, they just automatically kick in. I think that’s one of the most exciting parts about it, really. And you’re making a difference. And you’re seeing the impact. I started in January and the two boys I’m tutoring have had two sets of mocks since then, and they’ve improved. You can see results straight away. 

The way that it’s all set up is great. We have the programme coordinator from Action Tutoring in the classroom and we have the link teacher from the school as well. What I’ve observed is that when the students come in, they’re so respectful that they come straight in, they’re getting straight on with it. And to be honest, that doesn’t always happen in a classroom. So it’s really good to see these children, who perhaps misbehave in a room full of other people, they haven’t got that distraction now. And I think the resources that we’re given really help to keep the momentum going. With the two boys that I’ve got, every time I stop talking and say “it’s your turn to have a go”, they just get straight on with it. I think that’s the power of small group tutoring. As well as the children responding well to being in a small group and having the attention that they need. 

I think the resources that we’re given are so good because, from my perspective, I’m so used to creating my resources, so to have them tailored was excellent. I’ve just started my master’s degree in Victorian Gothic and ironically, one of the texts that we were using in a tutoring session was a text I just read for my degree. And I was saying to the boys, “Oh, I’m doing a degree and I’ve just read this,” and you could almost see them going, “Oh, so this is not rubbish that we’re reading. This is really good stuff.” 

I think it’s hard to pick one highlight of tutoring, but it’s been a really enjoyable experience. There was one day where a tutor couldn’t come in, so there were three other students who needed to be taught and I just took all five of them and I was just teaching them as normal. I was told afterwards that people were watching and listening. To me, it was normal because I’m a teacher and that’s what I do. But the other tutors in my group, they’re not teachers. They’ve come from businesses and all over to do the tutoring, so they’re listening and have been amazed that I could teach five children in one go. I think that was interesting – that we’ve got people from outside of teaching wanting to do this and doing a really good job of it as well. 

Janet, retired tutor in London

Before volunteering with Action Tutoring, Janet was a Governor at one of our partner schools and saw the positive impact our programme was having on the pupils.

Here is what Janet says about tutoring with us:

I’ve retired from full-time paid work and decided to try volunteering with a few different organisations. Action Tutoring has been one of the easiest to fit into my schedule. Having a regular weekly slot works well for me, and because I’m already in central London for the session, I often turn it into a full day—visiting art galleries and museums afterwards. For anyone wondering how to make it work, I’d say treat it as a fixed appointment in your calendar—it becomes a rhythm in your week rather than a burden.

The beginning and end of the programme stand out to me. At the start, everyone’s getting to know each other and it’s fun breaking the ice. By the end, it’s rewarding to see how much the pupils have matured. They open up more, start talking about their future plans, and you can reflect together on everything they’ve achieved over the year. It’s good to see their confidence grow. The programme coordinators have been fantastic. They’re always approachable, friendly, and genuinely invested in the pupils’ progress. They’re happy to chat through any questions or discuss how students are doing.

If you could describe your experience with Action Tutoring in three words, what would they be and why?

Rewarding, purposeful, inspiring. Rewarding because it feels good to make a tangible difference; purposeful because you know your time is being well spent; and inspiring because the pupils’ resilience and progress are genuinely motivating.

To someone considering volunteering with Action Tutoring, I’d say give it a go—you don’t need to be a subject expert or a former teacher. The training and resources guide you through everything, and the sessions are very structured. As for time, even one hour a week can make a real difference. Volunteering has sharpened my own thinking and communication skills, and it’s reminded me how valuable one-to-one support can be. It’s also helped me feel connected to younger generations.

Aneeqa, volunteer tutor and university student at the University of Nottingham

Since childhood, Aneeqa has had a passion for education. Teaching her stuffed toys as a toddler, the third year English student’s continued to find learning joyful.

Here’s what she had to say about her experience volunteering as a tutor:

For me, teaching means growth, including for the pupils I tutor. I aim for a safe, patient and compassionate environment where pupils excel.

Studying at the University of Nottingham, Aneeqa discovered Action Tutoring at a freshers fair stall. A charity which supports pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds with their English and maths education, it’s benefited Aneeqa a lot since she joined. 

Action Tutoring has given me a great new teaching outlook. I now laugh how I assumed my first session would go – while pupils are attentive, I soon learnt that sessions can go off-plan.

With this in mind, Aneeqa made a plan with Action Tutoring’s Nottingham Programme Coordinator, Niamh Wilson. Together, including with pupil input, they created session-focused games. Aneeqa, who starts a teacher training programme in September 2024, feels this really helped. 

Working this way drastically improved pupils’ concentration and our rapport.

And if Aneeqa could choose the biggest lesson learnt through Action Tutoring volunteering? 

I feel it increased our teamwork and pupils saw I cared. You can’t force pupils to act or behave a certain way. Each pupil learns differently. To truly help, you need to talk with pupils, not to them.

Action Tutoring has given me the joy of pupils saying, ‘I get it’.

By signing up, volunteers can tutor from as little as one hour a week, either online or in-person. 

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Eilidh, volunteer tutor and student at the University of Aberdeen

We spoke with Eilidh, an English Literature and History at the University of Aberdeen. Already being interested in a career in education, Eilidh started looking for tutoring opportunities during the pandemic.

Here’s what she had to say about her experience volunteering as a tutor:

When I came into Action Tutoring I had no experience in tutoring before. It was probably one of my first big girl steps, I would say, is filling out the application like, “well, I have no experience. But I really like books. So I think I can help, please let me help.” And here we are. It’s just been such a good experience. The whole application process is really simple. There’s so many resources on the Action Tutoring website as well, which have been really helpful to me before I even got the call to get in. And then once I was in, the amount of communication was amazing.

Not to do the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree speech, but my mum is a teacher and so were my grandparents, and my granddad used to be a huge advocate for literature. After seeing my mum, and what she’s done for pupils and myself realising that that’s what I wanted to do, it was important for me to start getting that experience. I’m still really grateful for myself – believing in myself and having the confidence to do this, because it’s not only helped me, it’s been able to help multiple pupils along the way.

I think the online training that they do for tutors is great, because if in my case, you’ve never done anything with children before, I think safeguarding is a massively important skill set to be teaching us. And I’m really glad that Action Tutoring had so many resources on that. And the option to look into more resources outside of the training, so you’re constantly able to learn more. So that was really helpful.

And then in terms of resources for classes, I had never written a class resource, I had no idea where to start. So having the workbooks that we’re all working with, and having them all every week with the templates was great, because it meant I was able to participate [alongside my studies] In terms of time consumption, it would just take me half an hour to read over answers and read over the lesson plan before going into the session, as opposed to having to stress and creating PowerPoints and creating resources for them.

I honestly can’t remember what I was expecting when I started. I think what surprised me is just how comfortable I felt straight away by doing it. And another thing that really surprised me is, no matter how frustrating the sessions were, no matter how drained I felt at the end of them, it was always so rewarding to know I was doing it. I could have had a session where we managed to do not even half the text, there were constant distractions. But there’d be one moment. Yeah, one moment where we get one question, right. And I was like, You know what? That’s a win. That’s good. And I think that’s what made me realise the real importance of teaching is that it’s not everything and it’s not about getting everything perfect. It’s about those small moments that are even like a tiny step forwards that really keep you motivated and keep you going.

I would say [volunteering] has contributed a lot to where I am now. Being able to include Action Tutoring in my personal statement this year, and just as an experience, in general has been a massive help. I don’t think that I would have been as confident as I am now if I hadn’t started tutoring, because it is really what has helped me start that journey into the education system. Working with Action Tutoring has really allowed me to come out of my shell in a way that has been really fun. I feel like I’ve learned a lot now, which means it will make me a better tutor or student teacher in future because I’ve dealt with those situations before.

I would describe tutoring as a sunny day with a few clouds here and there. But because it is, you know, some of the pupils come in and they’re distracted and they’re unhappy. But the light’s right there, all you’re trying to do as a tutor is push away the clouds and be like, “look, you can do this, find this light“. I will just say rewarding full stop for everyone involved.

Sally, volunteer tutor and retired optometrist

Sally first heard about Action Tutoring during the pandemic, and wanted to do her bit to support children who were falling behind. She now volunteers as an online tutor.

Here’s what Sally has to say about her experience so far:

[I heard about Action Tutoring] during the pandemic, it was right back in 2020. [The newspaper was] talking about how children are really suffering and getting behind at school, and especially the ones, you know, where the parents weren’t able to help so much. Tutoring and Action Tutoring came up. Sitting up in bed at 11 o’clock at night on Google, I applied for it on the spot. It just seemed like something I could do.

Online tutoring is great because it enables so many more tutors to help – you literally can give one hour a week. And if you’re doing other exciting things in your life, you can actually do it from different places, as long as you’ve got a laptop with you.

In general, I think volunteering is important because it sort of fills the gaps and fills the needs. When there’s a small gap, it’s just important for volunteers to be able to step in and do what’s needed. And I think if there was nobody volunteering for anything, society would be much more disjointed.

If [the pupils] are motivated, and really learning, then it’s just so pleasurable. I mean, today was not great, because he is a very nice boy, but they’re off doing a horse club straight afterwards. And his mind is obviously on the horse club. Sadly, not really on mathematics today, but other days, he’s been a lot better. I have one very bubbly girl in Birkenhead. She’s 16 and she would basically do a thumbs up when she got something or succeeded in something and in the end I was doing it as well. And it’s just fun really.

[One thing that surprised me about tutoring was] the Vedamo programme being very good. The setup does work very well. It’s well organised – I like structured things. And it is well-structured.

[Tutoring] makes me more aware of mathematics. You know, you just sort of think about it a bit more. And education. It’s a really valuable tool for these young people’s future. It’s just a matter of being safe in the world, you know?

Youcef, volunteer tutor and Diversity and Inclusion Manager for TFL

Having moved from Birmingham to London over 10 years ago, Youcef wanted to find a way to give back to his local community. He was the first person in his family to go to university, and now works in the diversity and inclusion space.

Youcef says:

Coming from a working-class background, good quality comprehensive state education with access to amazing teachers enabled me to progress and get on in life. I was one of the lucky ones, as I know many working-class kids don’t get the opportunities and luck I had.

I think it’s really important to give back to your local community, and I can think of no better way of doing this than giving a small amount of my time to help less affluent kids with their education through tutoring. Not coming from London, tutoring also gives me the opportunity to engage with my local community, which is important to me.

No one day is the same when tutoring, and I you regularly must think on your feet to continually engage the kids. I feel I like I have improved my communication, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness skills. 

I enjoy watching my pupils learn and grow, particularly when their reading and communication skills improve. One of my pupils was very shy and reserved when I first started tutoring them, and it was great to see as the tutoring progressed, she came out of her shell and engaged in the learning.

Tutoring is one of the few things I do that gives me real satisfaction, enjoyment, and self-fulfilment. It’s very rewarding to be able to give something back to your community. 

Phil, volunteer maths tutor and retired IT technician

A retired IT technician, Phil found himself at a loose end and wanted to give something back to his local community. He believes maths is crucial for all pupils to master and so began volunteering with Action Tutoring.

Phil says:

“I used to work in IT [and] I retired eight years ago so I’ve had a lot of free time which feels like a privilege. I wanted to do something to help people who are less fortunate and one thing I’ve always been reasonably good at was maths. I have always found it quite easy so I thought tutoring maths could be something I could do to help other people.

With Action Tutoring the advantage is it’s very organised and structured so the first session was quite easy because you’re with a number of other tutors and there’s a coordinator so a lot of support was provided. You also have a workbook to work from so you’ve got a lot of material, it’s quite structured and you know what is expected of you.

Particularly with maths I feel it’s an important subject, it’s viewed as important by employers. As well as being practically quite useful in everyday life, a lot of jobs involve mathematical content so it is a useful skill for people to acquire.

My impression is that a lot of people don’t acquire it, a lot of pupils leave school with not very good maths which holds them back in terms of career. If I could do it and make a positive difference I think it could be very helpful. A lot of hassle is removed by the support that Action Tutoring gives.

The benefit is that it’s so structured and organised. The pupils are encouraged to turn up. Action Tutoring provides online resources and the workbook that they provide gives a very structured format for tutor and pupils.

As a retired person with a lot of free time, I wanted to do something where I felt I was being active and contributing. I think everybody wants to feel that they are using their time in a positive way, which is more of a challenge when you’re retired. For me, tutoring has made me feel as though I am continuing to contribute.”

Gustav and Mateo, volunteer tutor and pupil

Gustav is a law student in London and finds tutoring a refreshing change from his degree. It gives him the chance to meet all sorts of different people, and working with primary school pupils has really improved his communication skills. Every week he works with Mateo, a Year 6 pupil who wants to be an engineer. Mateo thinks Gus is great and likes that tutoring gives him a chance to ‘step up’ his knowledge of maths and English.

Gustav says,

“I’m studying law at university and tutoring is completely different, such a contrast, and that’s mostly why I picked it. I saw it at a careers fair and thought this will be something very different to my degree, much more rewarding. It’s such a great escape, it’s so enjoyable. I’m thinking completely differently. Being able to communicate with a ten year old is a very useful skill!

I’ve definitely noticed a change in my pupil. The questions [my pupil] is asking are far more analytical and also the confidence, that’s another thing – at the beginning, obviously anyone would be frightened to ask certain questions and now he’s realising that there’s no stupid questions.

It’s nice to see that we’ve built a rapport and he doesn’t feel afraid.

My pupil is quite confident anyway, but even by his standards I could see he was quite timid. If I prompted him he’d talk but then outside of that he wouldn’t. And now he actively might interrupt me and ask a question which is good. That’s exactly what I want.

Lots of volunteering is working with people that you wouldn’t normally work with, or you can’t work with in a corporate setting. The thing that I’ve found the most is that it’s an escape from my degree – high pressure, constant work, dealing with people all the time and also very stressed. This is a world apart from that, people that are down to earth and that are learning themselves.

There’s so much to love about it. There’s lots of support from Action Tutoring in particular. The workbook makes it easy to get through the work and there’s also a lot of scope to do things you want to do. If you want to take it a step further you can, but if in some weeks you’re busy and you don’t have the time you can just stick to the workbook.  I think Action Tutoring is a very good option.”

Mateo says, 

“I like tutoring because they kind of like step it up. They teach me words that I never really experienced. They let me read textbooks and sometimes they have extra information that I can use if I have to do English lessons.

I think my tutor is very nice. He makes it simple for me to understand and he’s great.

I want to be an engineer. I want to make some things, mechanical parts! English doesn’t really help with it but I would like to study English at university. I like to read books from authors’ imaginations or sometimes real books about people, autobiographies.

[I think other people should have tutoring] because it could help them a lot if they don’t understand certain things, because you have a baseline assessment – so they kind of go through things we need to go through and I think tutoring just helps with that a lot.”

Justina, volunteer maths tutor and consultant paediatrician

“A volunteer advisor introduced me to Action Tutoring. I had been looking for opportunities for some time to learn and engage with my community and work with children. Since signing up in September 2019, I have tutored two Year 6 primary pupils in maths. I always look forward to this day of the week. My pupils arrive on time, full of enthusiasm and determination.

There is nothing better than to see a child overcome their challenges and make progress.

On a personal level, volunteering has allowed me to develop new skills, be creative, meet people from different professions and backgrounds and interact with children in an educational setting. Volunteering is all about making a positive contribution to community and society, which is incredibly rewarding and is so necessary in the current climate.

There are thousands of bright young articulate children across the UK in our schools from disadvantaged regions that cannot afford the resources I was so fortunate to benefit from – I urge anyone who has an hour per week available to step forward, contribute to helping children in English, maths or reading and to reap the rewards of helping to create a positive future for others.”

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