2024

Celebrating the difference we make: Support our Christmas Challenge today

We’re thrilled to be taking part in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. For our fifth time taking part, we aim to raise £12,000 to symbolise 12 years of our impactful programme delivery!

How it works

The Christmas Challenge is hosted by the Big Give and is the UK’s largest ‘match-funding’ campaign. Every donation made during campaign week, which takes place between Tuesday 3rd to 10th of December, is doubled by the ‘match-fund’ pot, added to by generous pledgers and our champion funders, The EQ Foundation. This means, during campaign week, one donation makes double the difference!

This festive season, can you support us to tackle educational inequality?

Opening doors to future opportunities

At Action Tutoring, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. We are working hard towards making this mission a reality by harnessing the power of volunteer tutors.

This year, we’re honouring our amazing volunteers with our #TheDifferenceWeMake theme. By giving just one hour a week, our tutors make a significant difference to the lives and futures of children and young people, helping them to overcome challenges, build confidence, and achieve their goals.

Watch our video

Click and play our video below to hear inspiring stories from our tutors about their most impactful moments.

Why we need your support

The attainment gap is the widest it has been in 12 years. Exacerbated by the pandemic, disadvantaged pupils are 19 months behind their more affluent peers by the end of secondary school.

A solution to combating the attainment gap? Tutoring. We know that high-quality and focussed tuition can make a huge impact on the lives of disadvantaged children and young people. Nationally in 2023, just 52% of disadvantaged pupils passed maths GCSE. This increases to 65% after at least 10 sessions of our tutoring support.

By coming together, we can work towards our vision of a world in which a child’s life chances are free from any limits of their socio-economic background.

Donate to our Christmas Challenge today

Each year, thousands of brilliant volunteer tutors help us make a difference by giving their time. To truly maximise our impact, we also rely on the power of donations. Your generous donation, however big or small, will directly fund vital programmes resources:

• High-quality maths or English workbooks: Providing pupils with engaging and effective learning materials.
• Noise-cancelling headphones: Vital for pupils to concentrate during online sessions.
• Enhanced DBS checks for volunteer tutors: Ensuring the proper safeguarding of all pupils and staff.

If you’re unable to make a donation, you can support our cause by spreading the word. Share this blog with friends, family, and on your social media platforms, using our hashtag #TheDifferenceWeMake.

Thank you for your support and kindness this festive season. Together, we can make a difference and inspire change.

GCSE results day: As it happened

It’s GCSE results day. With pupils across England receiving their grades, we’re looking forward to keeping you up to date today (Thursday 22nd August) with how pupils on our tutoring sessions have got on in this live blog. So keep refreshing the page and check back for updates! 

Celebrating pupils’ success

Results day is such an important date in the Action Tutoring calendar, and for all the pupils we support. It’s a day of celebration, recognising our pupils’ remarkable achievements, and a reminder of the work that’s still to be done. 

But for now, let’s take a moment to recognise all the hard work our pupils have put in to get to GCSE results day. And thank you to you, our community, for helping to make such a difference to every one of our pupils facing disadvantage. 

Live updates

9:08am: We’re getting the first quotes in from pupils across the regions where we provide tutoring sessions. This includes, Holy Family Catholic High School, Liverpool.

Luke is a Year 11 pupil at the school. He says:

“Action Tutoring helped me get a 6 in my Maths GCSE so I’m really happy.
Without Action Tutoring I don’t think I would have got this result. I’m really happy. Gillian (my tutor) was really nice and I’d like to say thanks to her. I’m going onto do A Levels and go on to do business at university.” – Luke, Year 11, Holy Family Catholic High School, Liverpool

Alfie, another Year 11 pupil at the school, says:

“Action Tutoring helped with little things I was stuck on, which I thought was really useful. It made a difference in my end result and I want to say thanks to my tutor for supporting me.”  – Alfie, Year 11, Holy Family Catholic High School, Liverpool

9:40am: We’re now getting results in from one of our Nottingham schools, Park Vale Academy.

One of the pupils we’ve spoken to is Alistair in Year 11. His results include a seven in English language, six in maths and five in English literature.

Alistair says:

“The tutors were very helpful, they’re nice people and they want you to achieve. If you want to achieve your desired grade, take up tutoring. So thank you very much.” – Alistair, Year 11, Park Vale Academy, Nottingham

Find out more about Alistair in the video below…

10:31am: We’re still getting more results through from pupils at Park Vale Academy.

Another of these pupils is Angelina in Year 11. She was tutored in maths by her tutor, Finn, who she says she’s really thankful for. Angelina, who would like to study educational psychology at university, says:

“I’m very happy with my grade 4 in maths. I’m really happy I achieved my target. I’m feeling very relieved with my results today. Tutoring helped me feel the least pressure I’ve ever felt. It’s also helped me feel unashamed of getting things wrong, which is very comforting. To those thinking of tutoring, just do it.” – Angelina, Year 11, Park Vale Academy, Nottingham

10:43am: Here’s a snapshot of just some of the pupils who’ve completed Action Tutoring sessions this academic year and who’ve received their results from Park Vale Academy. Congratulations to everyone!

10:54am: Back now to Holy Family Catholic High School, Liverpool. We caught up with Year 11 pupil, Megan, who says:

“I enjoyed tutoring. The sessions helped and made a difference in my grade. It boosted my confidence and allowed me to ask questions about things I didn’t understand.” – Megan, Year 11, Holy Family Catholic High School, Liverpool

11am: We’re really proud of what our pupils, tutors, partners and the wider Action Tutoring community have been able to achieve this year; all to enable our pupils to gain their results through tutoring. Take a look at some of the key statistics for those pupils who’ve sat their GCSEs this last academic year, below.

11:26am: Now to hear parents’ perspectives on GCSE results day. Parents of Year 11 Park Vale Academy pupil Holly, give their thoughts on how tutoring has helped their daughter achieve her grades this academic year. Watch the video below to find out more.

11:45am: Now to hear from pupils a little further north in the country – Sheffield.

Year 11 pupil Daniel, who attends Sheffield Park Academy, has received his desired grades today. Attending 12 Action Tutoring sessions, he’s achieved grade 4 in English Language, 5 in English Literature and 5 in maths.

Daniel, who would like to go on to study catering at college – and one day hopes to become a chef – says:

“I’m really happy with my results – it feels unreal, considering how long I’ve been studying for. This is great for my future. Tutoring helped with the English especially, as I got used to breaking down sources and I couldn’t do that before tutoring. Thank you to my tutor.” – Daniel, Year 11, Sheffield Park Academy

12:01pm: Back now to the Midlands and Nottingham, where we hear from Matty. Completing Action Tutoring sessions at Bramcote College, Matty has achieved his desired grades, including a 5 in maths and passing English Literature and Language. He says to any pupils who complete sessions with his tutor, Alan, that “whoever has Alan next, you’ll smash your exams.”

Watch the video from Matty below to find out more about how he got on.

12:15pm: We heard from Park Vale Academy pupil Holly’s parents earlier; now it’s Holly’s turn.

Year 11 pupil Holly, who achieved grade 4 in maths, says her tutoring has helped her take a path towards health and social care, which she’ll be studying at college.

Holly, who also has a keen passion for one day studying psychology and mental health, says:

“I passed everything. I’m happy. Tutoring helped my confidence, as I got to talk to different people in the group sessions who were also a similar ability. I definitely felt more comfortable thanks to tutoring. I’d say to anything thinking of doing it, definitely do it, if you have the chance. Thanks so much to my tutors and I appreciate what they’ve helped me achieve.” – Holly, Year 11, Park Vale Academy, Nottingham

12:30pm: We are taking a break for a little while, though we’ll look to return with further updates later today.

2pm: Welcome back to our blog. We’ll be sharing some more updates on GCSE results day below.

2:09pm: Heading to the south of England now, we’ve had some quotes today from one of our schools in London.

At St Saviour’s and St Olave’s School, Action Tutoring session pupil Ruby was really happy to pass and achieve a maths grade 6.

Year 11 pupil Ruby, who would one day like to become a PE teacher, says:

“I feel really good. I genuinely didn’t think I was going to pass. But tutoring has made a big difference. The sessions helped me break things down a lot more easily, whereas before tutoring, I didn’t understand the lessons. Thank you to our tutor too who was really nice. – Ruby, Year 11, St Saviours and St Olaves School, London

2:23pm: We’ve received some more pictures of our pupils at St Saviour’s and St Olave’s with their results today. Congratulations guys!

2:40pm: Heading west, we meet Year 11 pupil Charlie from Fairfield High School, Bristol.

Charlie says he didn’t expect to get his grade 5 in maths. He says thanks to his tutor Tony and the Action Tutoring sessions, this helped him achieve “more than a pass”.

Watch Charlie’s video below to find out more about him and his GCSE results.

4:02pm: Back at Park Vale Academy in Nottingham, we hear from Year 11 pupil, Riarna.

Riarna, who’d like to become an architect one day, has achieved a grade 6 in both her English Literature and English Language exams. She says she’s “really happy with my results” and after tutoring she “feels a lot better, happy and content”. She also acknowledges “the tutors are the best part of the sessions”.

Watch Riarna’s video to see why she recommends signing up to complete Action Tutoring sessions.

4:10pm: Back to Nottingham’s Bramcote College and to meet Year 11 pupil Stevie.

Stevie, who hopes to pursue a career in midwifery, achieved a grade 5 in maths today as part of GCSE results day.

Stevie says:

“I was initially in foundation and failing (maths) at the start of Year 10. I worked so hard and I got grade 5. Maths is a tricky subject, though all you need to do is work hard to achieve what you need. I’d just like to thank my tutor for the effort he put in. Whenever I said I was struggling, he helped.” – Stevie, Year 11 pupil, Bramcote College, Nottingham

5:26pm: There are no words to describe Nio’s tutoring experience better than Nio himself!

So over to the Year 11 pupil – who got a grade 6 in English Literature and a grade 5 in English Language – at Nottingham’s Park Vale Academy, to share below why you should sign up to be a volunteer tutor:

5:50pm: So that’s it from us today (Thursday 22nd August). We’re really grateful to everyone involved this academic year for their amazing efforts in helping our pupils to achieve the grades they deserve, and, feel the joy of tutoring.

*Check back on this page soon as while we are unable to make any guarantees at this stage, we may be sharing some further updates on Friday 23rd August regarding GCSE results day.*

Summer policy and advocacy update

As the dust begins to settle following a momentous election, the education policy landscape is poised for significant change. Disappointingly, education didn’t feature highly in the election debates, but the pledge to recruit 6,500 teachers has already been making headline news over the weekend. We know that Labour has the potential to reshape key parts of our educational system in profound ways. I was fascinated to read this piece by Ed Dorrell at Public First talking not so much about specific policies but about the different mindsets and approaches that a Labour Government could bring to education. Well worth a read!  

We were disappointed that the Labour manifesto didn’t make a specific tutoring commitment (it was however in the Liberal Democrat manifesto); neither was there anything specific on tackling the attainment gap, now at its widest in over a decade. However, that’s not to say there wasn’t plenty in there relevant to our work and to give reason for optimism. 

Teachers, teachers, teachers

“As we all know at Action Tutoring, great teachers are at the bedrock of a strong school system and education for all pupils” – Susannah Hardyman, Action Tutoring founder and CEO

With a new look team in place, all eyes in education will be on Bridget Phillipson, the new Education Secretary, to see how Labour’s education pledges manifest in practice. Top of her inbox and making headlines even today is the pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers. In addition, Catherine McKinnell has been announced as an education minister. At time of writing, her exact remit is yet to be confirmed. We had a great meeting with Catherine in April this year, so we are pleased to continue this relationship.

Otherwise, as we well know at Action Tutoring, great teachers are the bedrock of a strong school system and education for all pupils. We’ve seen first hand in recent years the huge challenges our schools have faced to recruit and retain them. However, there’s been criticism that there has been little detail on how this will be achieved – one to watch. This policy has garnered major support, emerging as the most popular education pledge during the campaign.

The all important early years

“This isn’t just about childcare – but the learning and education that is so crucial to children’s development, ensuring gaps don’t open up early on” – Susannah Hardyman, Action Tutoring founder and CEO

Starting even earlier though, we know Labour have a real interest in tackling the issues that can emerge right at the beginning of a child’s life, with a pledge to open an additional 3,300 nurseries by upgrading space in primary schools, to deliver the extension of government-funded hours families are entitled to. This isn’t just about childcare – but the learning and education that is so crucial to children’s development, ensuring gaps don’t open up early on.

You can’t learn if you’re hungry

Children can’t learn or concentrate well if they’re hungry and with child poverty significantly on the rise in the last few years, a key Labour pledge throughout the campaign has been to propose free breakfast clubs in all primary schools. Labour’s manifesto commits to spending £315 million on this initiative by 2028-29, although details of the implementation model remain unclear. Here at Action Tutoring, we’re excited about the possibility of linking our early morning tutoring programmes more closely with breakfast clubs, something we’ll be exploring over the coming months.

It all needs funding…

“We know Labour is coming in fiscally conservative, so it remains to be seen if more will be done to improve the overall state of school funding” – Susannah Hardyman, Action Tutoring founder and CEO

It won’t surprise readers to know that school funding remains a hot topic. Another pressing item in Bridget’s inbox will be whether the teacher pay rise will be fully funded this year and how to address school funding falling in real terms since 2010, plus the fact that the Pupil Premium has not been uprated in line with inflation. 

We know Labour is coming in fiscally conservative, so it remains to be seen if more will be done to improve the overall state of school funding. Disappointingly, school spending ranked just seventh, at 15%, when asking the public about spending preferences for government funding in a survey carried out by Public First. Understandably, a large preference (68%) was given to increasing NHS funding, but this highlights a significant challenge for organisations such as ourselves, who will always remain strong advocates of education investment – not least because a well educated workforce is the future of the economy. 

What about the curriculum?

Other areas to look out for over the coming months include a comprehensive curriculum review, focusing on fostering creativity, digital literacy and communication skills to equip young people with the tools needed for success in life and work, beyond the education system. The curriculum went through major reforms under the last Conservative government, not least the introduction of phonics in reception and KS1, but for many the return to a focus on oracy skills will be welcome.

Mental health – a pressing challenge of our times

Having recognised the critical link between mental health and educational success, in tandem with the mental health crisis that has fallen on pupils following the pandemic, Labour has pledged to employ mental health support staff in every school. This is an initiative which is part of a broader community-wide approach to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), which includes the establishment of accessible drop-in hubs offering community-based mental health support for children and young people. Funding for school mental health services was a major priority among the public during the campaign and it’s hugely popular with teachers too, as shown in this Teacher Tapp poll. 

And post-school

Finally, what about post-school? There are plans to reform post-16 education with a pledge to guarantee training, apprenticeships, or job support for all 18 to 21-year-olds and create ‘Skills England’ to unite businesses, training providers and government to develop a highly trained workforce. 

What next for Action Tutoring

“Delivery of tutoring programmes is at the heart of what we do; we also have so much to contribute and influence more widely in the education landscape” – Susannah Hardyman, Action Tutoring founder and CEO

Advocacy has been a pillar of our strategy since 2022, recognising that while our delivery of tutoring programmes is at the heart of what we do, we have so much to contribute and influence more widely in the education landscape from all we’ve learnt over the last 12 years, to ultimately help us achieve our mission. We know public funding is very tight, but we hope for the next parliament, a commitment to funded tutoring for those from disadvantaged backgrounds could be back on the agenda. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to the following:

• Taking part in panels at Labour and Liberal Democrat Party conferences in September hosted by the Educational Policy Institute (EPI) and alongside our sector friends Get Further, Tutor Trust and Impetus.
• Working with Public First on two new reports looking at the lessons learned from the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) and a tutoring policy proposal (‘Tutoring Guarantee’) for the newly-elected Labour Party, with the aim of launching these early in 2025.
• Re-mapping all of our MP contacts and inviting local MPs to visit tutoring programmes in schools in their constituencies, so we can show them first-hand the difference we make and build up a fresh base of supportive MPs.
• Working with friends in the sector to engage Ministers, the Education Select Committee and the Department for Education, building relationships with the new teams and ensuring that tutoring doesn’t leave the agenda.
• Continuing to chair the Fair Education Alliance Tuition Advocacy Group, a network of charities passionate about the potential of tutoring to tackle the attainment gap.

Find out more and keep up to date

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