Attainment gap

Private tutoring in 2026: The new educational standard

The release of the Sutton Trust’s Private Tutoring 2026 report provides a sobering confirmation of a trend we at Action Tutoring have watched with growing concern. The “shadow education” industry in the UK is not merely growing; it is becoming a primary driver of educational inequality.

As the CEO of Action Tutoring, I see the human stories behind these statistics every day. But the data in this latest report demands that we look at the systemic implications. When a third of all secondary school pupils in England and Wales are now receiving private tuition, rising to nearly half in London, we have to ask ourselves: what happens to the children who are left behind?

The growing divide

The report highlights a staggering jump in the prevalence of private tutoring. In 2026, 29% of 11-16 year olds accessed private support, outside of school hours, compared to 18% 20 years ago. While this reflects a natural desire from parents to see their children succeed, it creates an ‘achievement gap’ that tracks directly with household income.

In an era where the attainment gap is wider than it has been in a decade, this is a crisis of social mobility, where a child’s potential is increasingly capped by their parents’ bank balance.

The London effect and regional disparity

London continues to lead the pack, with 45% of pupils receiving private tuition compared to 27% in the rest of England. This “London effect” causes an environment where tutoring is no longer an “extra” for struggling pupils, but an expected norm for the ambitious.

The report also highlights urban vs rural disparities, with 33% of pupils having received private tutoring in urban areas compared to just 19% in rural areas.

Tutoring as the ‘great equaliser’

At Action Tutoring, we have always believed that tutoring should be the ‘great equaliser’, not the great divider. This research from Sutton Trust reinforces the efficacy of the model: one-to-one and small-group tuition works. It builds confidence, plugs specific learning gaps, and provides the tailored support that even the best-resourced classrooms often cannot provide.

“We are about halfway through the [Action Tutoring] programme now and I can see improvements in the children’s ability but also in their confidence. The small groups allow the children to experience very targeted and personal support, something that I cannot offer (no matter how much I want to or try to) as a class teacher.”

Louise Glover, Year 6 class teacher at St John Evangelist Primary School in London

A call for systemic change

The Sutton Trust report makes several critical recommendations that we, at Action Tutoring, wholeheartedly support. Most importantly is the need for a permanent, government-backed commitment to a state-funded tutoring programme that specifically targets disadvantaged pupils.

We need to move toward a future where high-quality tutoring is integrated into the school day for those who need it most, rather than being an expensive tool available only to those who can afford it.

Looking ahead

The Private Tutoring 2026 report is a wake-up call. We cannot allow a two-tier education system to become the permanent status quo in the UK.

At Action Tutoring, our mission has never been more important. We know that when we provide a volunteer tutor to a Year 11 pupil who is facing disadvantage, we aren’t just helping them with exam skills; we are restoring the balance across to society and changing futures.

Education should be the engine of social mobility. But, as this report shows, if we don’t act now to make tutoring accessible to all, that engine risks becoming a vehicle for the few. It is time we ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to have a tutor in their corner.

Get involved

Related content

Packing an impact punch! The rationale for our approach to curriculum

Creating a tutoring curriculum that makes a genuine difference in pupils’ lives requires much more than simply aligning sessions with national standards. At Action Tutoring, we have carefully developed a curriculum that is evidence-based, inclusive, and designed to address the unique barriers faced by pupils facing disadvantage. Here’s how our approach ensures maximum impact, one carefully crafted session at a time.

Grounded in research and evidence

Our curriculum is built on a foundation of up-to-date research into effective teaching and tutoring practices. This ensures that pupils benefit from the latest insights into how young people learn best. For example, our Year 6 English curriculum draws on guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and incorporates evidence-based strategies like structured scaffolding and retrieval practice.

This commitment to research isn’t a one-time effort. Our Curriculum Leads (CLs), both of whom are experienced educators, conduct regular literature reviews to ensure our maths and English materials are informed by the latest studies and align with educational standards. By keeping our curriculum dynamic and reflective of current best practices, we give our pupils the best chance to succeed (and achieve the all-important passing grades in their SATs and GCSEs).

Tackling barriers to learning head-on

We recognise that all pupils face challenges, but those from disadvantaged backgrounds often encounter additional hurdles. Our curriculum is designed to mitigate these barriers, including:

1. Poor attendance

Attendance is a significant challenge for many pupils facing disadvantage. To address this, our team of Programme Coordinators (PCs) works closely with schools to maximise attendance. Additionally, our curriculum incorporates recap activities and opportunities to recall prior knowledge, to ensure that each session can ‘stand alone’ to promote pupil progress. 

2. The vocabulary gap

Research shows that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds often face a significant gap in their vocabulary. Alex Quigley’s ‘Closing the Vocabulary Gap’ refers to this; he emphasises that many pupils lack exposure to rich language and diverse texts, leaving them less equipped to tackle challenging material. 

David Didau highlights this issue in his blog on closing the language gap, sharing an example from a foundation-tier exam on Of Mice and Men. The exam included a seemingly straightforward question about ‘dreams’, specifically addressing the ‘futility’ of dreams. Unfortunately, none of the pupils attempted to answer it – not because they didn’t grasp the concept, but because they didn’t know what ‘futility’ meant. Despite their understanding of the underlying idea, their limited vocabulary left them unable to engage with the question.

This challenge has only grown since 2015, as the English curriculum has advanced in complexity, particularly through its vocabulary demands. Simply encouraging ‘reading for pleasure’ is insufficient to close this gap. Pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often don’t get the language exposure needed to access a lot of material.

That’s why our sessions are designed to model effective reading strategies and explicitly teach tier 2 vocabulary, such as “lunged” and “benevolent,” alongside tier 3 subject-specific terms like “metaphor” and “oxymoron.” By embedding this instruction into engaging, scaffolded activities, we help pupils build the language skills they need to access and excel in their learning.

3. Difficulties in accessing learning at home

A lack of access to technology or a suitable learning environment can hinder progress. That’s why our online tutoring sessions are fully equipped with the resources pupils need; such as headsets and printed anthologies of texts to annotate; delivered in the safe and structured setting of their school.

4. Closing learning gaps

Our curriculum is targeted at helping pupils catch up in areas where they may have fallen behind. For example, our Year 5 English grammar curriculum focuses on three essential areas: tenses, prefixes/suffixes, and fronted adverbials. These skills are foundational for success in Year 6 and beyond.

Aligned with the National Curriculum

Ensuring continuity with classroom learning is essential. Our curriculum aligns closely with the National Curriculum, enabling pupils to strengthen and build on their classroom knowledge. For instance, our maths resources integrate problem-solving questions and opportunities for “maths talk,” which mirrors the emphasis placed on reasoning and communication in schools.

Inclusive by design

We believe that a truly impactful curriculum must reflect the diversity of the pupils we serve. That’s why diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles are woven into every stage of curriculum design. We aspire towards:

• Author diversity: A 50/50 gender balance in our primary resources, and 25% of authors from ethnic minorities.
• Inclusive content: Names and scenarios in our curriculum reflect a variety of cultures and avoid stereotypes. For instance, traditional binary groupings like “boys and girls” have been replaced with creative alternatives, such as “guinea pigs and rabbits.”
• A proactive approach: DEI isn’t a bolt-on gesture at the end – it’s embedded from the very beginning of the design process.

Looking to the future

At Action Tutoring, our curriculum is more than just a set of resources – it’s a carefully designed tool to empower pupils, tutors, and schools alike. By addressing the specific challenges faced by pupils facing disadvantage, prioritising inclusivity, and constantly striving for improvement, we aim to deliver a tutoring experience that truly packs an impact punch.

We work with primary and secondary state schools across England to deliver heavily subsidised, high-quality tutoring for pupils facing disadvantage in Years 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11, in English and maths. If you’re interested in finding out more, visits our schools page:

Read our curriculum guides:

Action Tutoring’s curriculum is designed to ensure comprehensive SATs and GCSE preparation for pupils. Our specialist Curriculum Leads for English and maths are fundamental to this, bringing a wealth of knowledge from their experiences as Lead Practitioners in schools.

You can view our current Curriculum Guides for schools below:

QBE Foundation partners with Action Tutoring to expand support

In a bid to scale up access and impact of tutoring to over 12,000 pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, QBE Foundation is investing more than £1.5 million in its partnership with Action Tutoring within the next three years.

QBE’s funding will significantly increase the number of disadvantaged pupils who receive tutoring support and enable the charity to reach more remote and hard-to-reach locations. The partnership aims to help narrow the attainment gap, which is at its widest in ten years at both primary and secondary levels.

With the government set to end the funding for the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) in 2024 and schools struggling with budget squeezes, the future of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is at serious risk without funding support to keep catch-up interventions afloat.

Supporting young talents

“We want to create resilient and inclusive communities. We’re excited to partner with Action Tutoring because they do this through developing skills and supporting talent. It is wonderful to help children reach their full potential. Investing in them at an early age also offers fantastic returns.”

Grant Clemence, Chairman of QBE Foundation, said

Children from low-income backgrounds are on average 18 months behind their wealthier peers by the end of GCSEs. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated existing education inequalities, hitting historically disadvantaged students the hardest.

Expand our support

Susannah Hardyman, founder and CEO of Action Tutoring, believes the partnership will accelerate the work of the charity in education recovery and fight inequalities.

“Achieving good GCSEs in both English and maths is critical to young people being able to progress to further education, employment or training. This not only benefits their individual lives but creates a healthy workforce and ultimately benefits the wider economy. Skills shortage is a chronic problem for businesses. This funding aims over a five-year period to help us tutor twice as many pupils as we do today, and also expand our reach from urban to rural areas.”

Susannah Hardyman

Through the funding, Action Tutoring will partner with more state schools to provide maths and English tutoring to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The support will help more young people to make meaningful academic progress and open doors to higher education and employment opportunities.

The QBE Foundation has committed to a minimum of three years of funding with an annual contribution of at least £500K, with the ambition that the partnership and funding will extend to five years and beyond. QBE employees across the country will be able to volunteer to provide regular tutoring in local schools, using Action Tutoring’s structured programmes and resources.

Worthwhile partnership

Since the summer term, some QBE employees have already been volunteering as tutors on programmes in schools. Sophie Miller-Molloy, an employment lawyer at QBE who started tutoring pupils in Newcastle’s Tyneview Primary School remotely, said the ability to boost the studies and confidence of young people are her driving motivations.

“Taking some time out each week to volunteer and do something which is going to help someone else out in a meaningful way also gives me the boost to volunteer.  It’s part of my week that I look forward to the most. It’s such a great contrast from my day-to-day legal work,” Sophie said. “I’m really grateful that QBE partners with Action Tutoring and it’s great that QBE empowers its employees to participate in such a fantastic and worthwhile scheme.”

Sophie Miller-Molloy

Profound impact

This partnership will be a significant boost for Action Tutoring’s work, propelling the charity to expand its impact to rural areas and bolster the advocacy efforts to ensure tutoring is embedded in the education system permanently.

By harnessing the expertise of trained volunteers to provide high-quality small group tutoring, Action Tutoring will profoundly impact more children from disadvantaged backgrounds with this investment.

New report underscores tutoring’s impact on attainment, attendance and mental health

Tutoring has a wide-reaching, positive impact on the academic performance, attendance and mental health of young people, according to new polling of parents, teachers and pupils in a new tuition advocacy report published today.

The report, The Future of Tutoring, is produced by Public First and commissioned by the Tuition Advocacy Group of the Fair Education Alliance to highlight the impact, progress, and challenges of tutoring from the perspectives of parents, teachers, and pupils, plus recommendations for effective tutoring for the future and a commitment to embedding it in the education system beyond the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), set to end in 2024.

“This report, like many others, has again attested to tutoring as a central plank in education recovery efforts, with parents as well as teachers confirming the significant progress in the performance and confidence of their children receiving tutoring support. More than ever, long-term funding for the National Tutoring Programme is needed to make tutoring a permanent fixture in the education system in order to tackle the widening attainment gap and persistent absence, and to help chart a better future for all young people across the country.”

Susannah Hardyman, FEA Tuition Advocacy Group Chair and founder and CEO of Action Tutoring, a key sponsor of the report, said

Launch event

The coalition led by Action Tutoring, Impetus, The Tutor Trust, and Get Further launched the report in Parliament Wednesday, with Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education and Former Chair of Education Select Committee as guest speaker.

The event hosted by the Chair of the Education Select Committee, Robin Walker, convened over 120 policymakers, politicians, school leaders, and sector representatives, coinciding with the third-year anniversary of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP).

Before the event, Susannah Hardyman and Abigail Shapiro of The Tutor Trust shared the report directly with the education lead in the No.10 delivery unit.

Use momentum to transform tutoring

Speaking in the stead of the SoS of Education, Robert Halfon, former chair of the Education Select Committee and current Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education said he personally benefitted from tutoring as a child and understands the transformation it can have first-hand.

“Tutoring doesn’t only help students academically but also increases their confidence, improve attendance, and impacts their relationships with other children. It’s not only about the subject knowledge but supporting every aspect of their lives. Let’s use the momentum built in the last 3 years to transform tutoring. We welcome recommendations in the Future of Tutoring report and will consider them carefully.”

Robert Halfon, who was a key champion of the NTP back in spring 2020

“Targeted assistance helped to bridge the gaps in my understanding to pass my maths GCSE successfully. Consistency in tutoring helped me establish my learning approach and get fresh perspectives from tutor. It instilled my confidence. I look forward to higher education in September and a future of endless possibilities.”

Naomi Spence, a graduate pupil

Bridging the haves and haves not

Naomi’s mother, Lorraine, also highlighted why tutoring should be accessed by every child.

“Should tutoring be the preserve of a select few? No. Tutoring is a bridge between the haves and haves not. Let’s support the call to action to keep tutoring in place permanently and to benefit all children.”

 “Yesterday, when the Year 6 results were released, Pupil Premium children representing 50% of the school population, outperformed the non-PP pupils and exceeded the national average for all pupils. Thanks to the support they received from tutoring. However, we cannot continue with tutoring for pupils who need it without proper funding. It is difficult on a tight budget like this.”

Lisa Walker-Collins, headteacher of Stroud Green Primary School

Ambitious manifesto

The report lays out a bold tuition manifesto proposal to the next parliament to commit to a funded Tutoring Guarantee that all young people in receipt of Pupil Premium or fallen behind in education, be offered a high-quality tutoring provision to help close the attainment gap and impact an estimated 1.75m disadvantaged young people.

The tuition advocacy coalition went the extra mile to garner cross-party endorsement with senior figures including Chair of the Education Select Committee Robin Walker MP, former Education Secretary the Rt Hon. Lord Blunkett, and Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, Munira Wilson MP jointly calling for its adoption.

“It is vitally important that children and young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, get the help they need to be able to succeed in life and play their part in improving the world around them. Tutoring is an intervention that is proven to help children catch up on lost learning and also supports their wider needs, like improving attendance and protecting mental health. Tutoring can play a central role in unlocking the ambition of England’s children if we deliver a Fair Tutoring Future.”

Dame Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, who wrote the report’s foreword said

“Tutoring is a vital and proven intervention for providing effective catch up support at school and, used effectively, it can make a huge difference for children’s life chances. I have seen some excellent examples of tutoring and hope that the lessons learned from the National Tutoring Programme can ensure that it is used even more effectively in the future. Embedding tutoring into the education landscape as we move forward will be vital if we are to close the gap in attainment for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Robin Walker MP, Chair of the Education Select Committee and former Schools Minister said

Key highlights from the tutoring report

Tutoring manifesto

The manifesto is proposing an increase in state funding from £150m to £290m a year, the removal of the requirement on schools to match-fund to access any funding, creating flexibility for schools to target tuition at pupils who need will benefit, and clear accountability for the delivery and reporting status of pupils.

“A reshaped and properly invested tutoring programme is not only essential for re-engaging young people post Covid but also to provide direct equality of access to essential out-of-classroom support.”

Former Education Secretary, The Rt Hon. Lord Blunkett, said

“Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have fallen further behind their peers during the pandemic, and are at risk of staying there unless the government reverses its decision to remove its funding for schools and colleges to use tutoring. We stand by this call for tutoring to be fully funded so that schools can support the children who have suffered most during the pandemic to reach their full potential.”

Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education said

Continuing our advocacy work

Action Tutoring is proud to be at the forefront of this collective advocacy report and to be working together with other education charities to secure the joint cross-party endorsement of the tuition manifesto from members of the main political parties.

We look forward to building on this achievement by speaking on education panels at the Conservative and Labour party conferences later this year in partnership with the Education Policy Institute (EPI) and the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).

We believe that it’s vital we engage policy leaders and continuously advocate for cross-party support for embedding tutoring permanently in our education system to positively impact the future of young people.

Highlights: Committee inquiry report on education recovery

Today, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published its inquiry report on Education Recovery in Schools in England. The report assessed the value and effectiveness of education recovery programmes in schools based on written and oral evidence.

Following the disruption to education by the Covid-19 pandemic with multiple school closures, the Department for Education (DfE) introduced a number of recovery initiatives to help pupils and schools to catch up, most notably, the National Tutoring Programme (NTP).

The Committee’s inquiry assessed the DfE’s management of the recovery programme, the effectiveness of the NTP in meeting its objective, and if the scheme was achieving value for money.

The report found that the DfE did not fully appreciate the ‘pressures schools are under as they seek to help pupils catch up’ with evidence of persistent issues of funding constraints, growing mental health needs among pupils and challenges with teacher recruitment and retention.

As one of the education charities that submitted written evidence to this inquiry, we believe in the potential of the flagship recovery scheme, the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), to help reverse the Covid-19 pandemic disruption in education. 

However, we believe that this progress can only be achieved if the NTP is mainly targeted at disadvantaged pupils, tuition delivery is of high quality, funding is increased and outcomes are properly monitored.

Swift action to close the attainment gap

The report revealed that the Department for Education believes it will take a decade to return the attainment gap – which is at its widest in ten years at primary and secondary levels – to pre-pandemic levels. 

“The 10-year timeline to witness pre-pandemic attainment gap level is too long and stands to ruin the life chances of millions of pupils across the country”

Susannah Hardyman, founder and CEO of Action Tutoring

It recommended that the DfE publish a plan setting out how it will reduce the disadvantage gap as quickly as possible and the expected trajectory, building on good practice.

Without swift action to consolidate and implement multiple recommendations from this report and many others to improve the NTP, there will be far-reaching consequences of learning loss to this generation in schools.

It recommended that the DfE publish a plan setting out how it will reduce the disadvantage gap as quickly as possible and the expected trajectory, building on good practice. Without swift action to consolidate and implement multiple recommendations from this report and many others to improve the NTP, there will be far-reaching consequences of learning loss to this generation in schools.

High absence rate among the disadvantaged

In the autumn and spring terms of 2021-22, the average absence rate for all pupils was 7.4%, compared with 4.5% for the same terms before the pandemic in 2018-19. For disadvantaged pupils, the rate was 10.4% in 2021-22, compared with 7.2% in 2018-19.

It is alarming that persistent pupil absence continues to pose a significant challenge to schools and the well-being of pupils, especially the disadvantaged. Without pupils attending school, their outcomes are unlikely to improve.

Our evidence to the Education Select Committee on persistent pupil absence contained helpful recommendations to tackle the issue including:

• Sharing drinks and snacks during tutoring sessions to reduce hunger
• Letters and text reminders to parents about upcoming sessions in the day
• Parent information sessions about tutoring and its benefits
• Incentives such as vouchers if pupils attend the majority of tutoring sessions
• Certificate presentation and awards in assembly at the end of programme
• Integrate attendance into the positive behaviour management system such as gaining points for their ‘house’ through attendance

The report charged the DfE to develop a better understanding of why disadvantaged pupils have higher rates of absence than others and take targeted action to reduce absence rates among them.

“Continuing to invest in ensuring the most vulnerable pupils show up in the classroom is critical to breaking the cycle of low attendance rates currently. Persistent pupil absence will give rise to a surge of problems in the future for young people if the root causes are not addressed.“

Susannah Hardyman

Funding constraints for schools

Although the steep subsidy cut for the NTP has been reversed, schools are still grappling with funding constraints and budget squeezes. Schools that are struggling to pay 40% of tutoring costs this academic year will still struggle to make up for the 50% next year.

Additional funding commitment is needed long-term to ensure tutoring is sufficiently embedded in the education system widely and particularly for pupils facing disadvantage.

Increasing take-up of NTP

It is discouraging that 13% of schools did not take up the NTP and missed out on the benefits of subsided tutoring. The DfE must ramp up its efforts through a campaign to win the hearts and minds of parents and ​conscientise schools on the value and moral imperative of channelling the NTP funding towards those eligible for Free School Meals.

The report urged the DfE to do more to understand why some schools are not taking part in the National Tutoring Programme and take more effective action to increase participation.

We believe the Department should work with tuition providers with demonstrated impact to expand into cold spots and areas with low uptake to ensure that every disadvantaged child in the country, regardless of where they live, can access high-quality tutoring.

Applying recommendations

The recommendations set out in the Committee’s report also include progress reports on measures for 2030 attainment targets and funding intervention when schools struggle to bolster NTP uptake.

If the proposed solutions are applied, they will have a meaningful impact on closing the attainment gap and reversing the damage done by the pandemic’s disruption to education. The NTP can elevate its reach and impact to ensure it delivers on the intended objectives of the scheme, all in the best interest of disadvantaged young people.

New research shows glaring inequalities in tutoring

Since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted education in March 2020, tutoring has expanded significantly to help address the lost learning time. With schools shut down for months throughout multiple waves of the pandemic, the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) was introduced as a way to augment learning and help pupils, mostly those facing disadvantage, to catch up.

A new report, Tutoring: the new landscape, published by the Sutton Trust today has thrown more light on how the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the dynamics of tutoring and the persistent inequalities underlying its delivery and impact.

The report details the changes seen in both private and school-based tutoring, in the aftermath of the pandemic and examines tutoring impact, using the latest data from the Ipsos’ Young People Omnibus and recent COSMO studies.

Tutoring expansion

The data reveals that private tutoring is at its highest levels since 2005, with 30% of young people aged 11-16 receiving private tuition, up from 27% before the pandemic. Though many schools had been using the intervention prior to the introduction of the NTP, the government’s roll-out played a significant role in its growth. Before the pandemic, 10% of secondary school leaders reported tutoring was their priority for Pupil Premium spending but by 2022, this figure had more than tripled to 34%.

About 52% of young people agreed that their progress in school suffered as a result of COVID-19, with about 24% of young people reporting to have received tutoring from their school in the 2021/22 school year, up from 18% in the previous pre-pandemic year.

The significant expansion mirrors Action Tutoring’s delivery, which has more than tripled in reach today, compared to the 2019-20 academic year, in response to the rising demand for learning support during the pandemic.

Socioeconomic differences

The report also demonstrates how in-school tutoring, through the NTP, has helped to increase access to tutoring for pupils who typically would not be able to afford it.

According to the COSMO data, 32% of pupils from the most well-off households by income received private tutoring, compared to 13% for the worst-off. However, this trend is dramatically different when looking at the take-up of in-school tutoring through the NTP. About 32% of those in the worst-off households reported taking up extra tuition in school, compared to 22% in the most well-off.

Thanks to the expansion of in-school tutoring, the proportion of pupils accessing any form of tutoring is now almost level between the most and least deprived, with 39% of those from the most well-off households accessing tutoring, compared to 37% of those from the worst-off. 

The report shows how the NTP is allowing a much wider group of pupils to access tutoring, and if issues with its targeting and delivery quality can be addressed, it holds the potential to level the playing field between the most and least disadvantaged in the long term.

Geographical disparities

The report also showed the stark regional difference in the use of private tuition, with 46% of pupils in London reported to have had private tutoring, compared to 21% in Wales and 16% in the North East. London at 27% is substantially ahead of other regions in tutoring rate, compared to under 12% in the North East.

This finding reflects the existing inequalities in the geographical distribution of private tutoring across the country, however, the introduction of the NTP tipped the scale in the favour of pupils who couldn’t afford it in these areas.

The data shows that regions with the lowest rates of private tutoring, such as the North East, East Midlands, and Yorkshire, have the highest rates of in-school tutoring take-up via the NTP.

Applying recommendations

As a Tuition Partner that existed long before the NTP and advocated for its introduction, we are in full agreement with the recommendations in the report including establishing the NTP for the longer term, stricter targets for disadvantaged young people, cancelling the subsidy reduction, improving quality of content and expanding to more remote areas.

The real long-term gain of the NTP is in closing the widening attainment gap and that can only be achieved if it is embedded permanently in our education system. Many disadvantaged pupils are in need of tutoring support, and making the NTP a permanent fixture will reap long-term benefits to the nation, rather than it being a stopgap measure in education recovery efforts.

Also, re-targeting the NTP more at disadvantaged pupils is the key way to tackle the attainment gap. Reinstating and enforcing Pupil Premium targets that were scrapped by the Department of Education and introducing incentives for uptake will help keep the focus on disadvantaged pupils and ensure accountability.

The report backs our call for the NTP’s regional expansion to more remote or ‘cold spots’, where tutoring is lacking. The capacity of Tuition Partners can be supported to expand our reach to underserved areas and deliver high-quality academic support nationally, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

The report’s recommendation for the planned subsidy reduction to be rescinded is consistent with our ongoing advocacy efforts for the funding to be maintained or increased, as schools continue to battle with budget squeezes. There’s a real risk that without additional funding, rates of uptake in schools will drop sharply upending the gains made to level the playing field.

Game-changer

There is no doubt that the NTP has widened access to disadvantaged pupils, who would otherwise not be in a position to afford it.

We are at a point in our education history where the NTP could significantly narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their better-off peers.

The recommendations in the Sutton Trust report, if applied to the NTP, will be game-changing to reversing inequalities in education across England, benefitting the life chances of thousands of pupils.

Changing the future of disadvantaged pupils in Chester & Westminster

In a classroom at Blacon High School in Chester, Lillie listens attentively as her tutor reads the first practice activity in an English tutoring session. She asks questions for clarity on evaluating language and narrative throughout the session. 

Lillie is one of forty pupils in Years 10 and 11 in Blacon High receiving weekly tutoring support from Action Tutoring. Although her favourite subject is Graphics Production, passing the English GCSE is essential to furthering her education. Lillie believes the personalised academic assistance is making a real difference for her.

With the extra help, I feel more confident with my answers in class and when doing my homework. The fact that the tutoring sessions are one-on-one or in small groups means I get to ask my tutor any questions I have, without feeling embarrassed about getting it wrong in front of a whole class.

Lillie

Improve young lives

With a new grant from the Westminster Foundation to support the work of Action Tutoring over the next five years in Chester and Westminster, the education charity will expand tutoring access to more pupils in need of additional academic support. The partnership includes a grant of £500,000 to fund tutoring provision targeted at disadvantaged pupils in nine schools in both cities to help improve their subject knowledge, confidence, and outcomes.

Providing maths and English tutoring to pupils at risk of leaving school without basic qualifications is a priority, particularly following the disruption in education amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the widening attainment gap. I am delighted that with our grant Action Tutoring can continue to deliver this important support in Westminster and Chester to help improve the futures of so many young people.

Kate Brown, Westminster Foundation & Philanthropy Director

Positive impact

Rachel Hudson has been the headteacher of Blacon High School for four years. After observing the consistent improvement in the performance of pupils receiving tutoring support, she said pupils have gone on to take more ownership of their learning, even beyond just the core subjects.

“The tutoring sessions have helped students to achieve or exceed their target grades in maths and English. The tutors have built strong relationships with our students, are flexible in their approach to tutoring, and have shown a genuine understanding of the challenges they face with learning. Tutoring has had a positive impact on their confidence and performance across the board, enabling them to go into successful courses and pathways.”

Rachel Hudson

Change the trajectory

Since its establishment in 2012, Action Tutoring has supported over 26,000 primary and secondary school pupils across England with the help of over 11,500 volunteer tutors. The charity is on track to support at least a further 6,000 pupils this academic year, through in-person and online tutoring delivery.

The attainment gap alarmingly stands at its widest level in a decade which means more young people are leaving school without reaching expected standards. The odds are even worse for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. With this grant, we can positively change the trajectory for thousands of pupils in Chester and Westminster  by delivering tutoring support to unlock their potential and increase their life chances.

Susannah Hardyman, founder, and CEO of Action Tutoring

With disadvantaged people at risk of slipping through the net to become not in education, employment and training (NEET), the partnership will enable more disadvantaged pupils to receive the needed academic support to pass their SATs and GCSEs and to progress in further education, training, and employment.

Lillie’s dream career is to be an airline cabin crew member in the future and she thinks the consistent interactivity during her tutoring session is already steering her in the right direction by building her confidence level.

“My tutoring sessions have made me feel less anxious about talking to people I’ve never met before. This will definitely help when I have to speak to hundreds of new people every day.”

Lillie

Our 2021-22 Impact Report demonstrates the effectiveness of tutoring in improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils

We have released our 2021-22 Impact Report, with the aim of highlighting the scale, and impact of our tutoring programmes in our mission to unlock the potential of disadvantaged young people and help tackle the attainment gap. The report details the growing expansion in our tutoring delivery to hard-to-reach areas, the relative improvement in the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils receiving our tutoring support, and the challenges of Covid-19 on education.

In the 2021-22 academic year, we supported the highest number of pupils in the charity’s history, with 6,159 pupils receiving 67,800 hours of tutoring, delivered by our volunteer tutors. A total of 586 pupils received tutoring support in both maths and English.

Through our inspirational volunteers, we are devoted to positively transforming the future prospects of pupils facing disadvantage who need our support the most, in a challenging climate of stretched school budgets, high pupil absences, the widest attainment gap in a decade, and the rising cost of living, among others. We’ve expanded geographically via our virtual programmes to new areas including Portsmouth, Corby, Chester, Middlesex, and Rotherham.

Susannah Hardyman, founder, and CEO of Action Tutoring

Key highlights of the Impact report include:

• 2,345 volunteer tutors delivered tutoring in partnership with 147 schools
• Compared to the 53% of disadvantaged pupils who passed GCSE maths nationally, the report shows that 72% of disadvantaged pupils tutored by the charity passed their GCSE maths – despite these pupils having been through two challenging years of pandemic disruption and being at risk of not achieving a passing grade.
• Our analysis shows that primary pupils supported by the charity were more likely to achieve the expected standards than other disadvantaged pupils across the country — by 8 percentage points in maths and reading.
• Pupils who took Action Tutoring sessions in Year 10 were more likely to pass in that subject at GCSE, compared to other Action Tutoring pupils who did not — 11% more likely in English and 27% more likely in maths.
• 69% of pupils Action Tutoring supported were eligible for Pupil Premium funding – a government grant given to reduce the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils

According to the Department for Education, the attainment gap is at its widest in a decade at both primary and secondary levels. Tutoring remains one of the tangible solutions to help narrow that gap, as our Impact Report effectively shows.

Volunteer tutoring is at the heart of the substantial impact of Action Tutoring in the last year, as it seeks to bolster access to equitable and inclusive education. Since officially registered as a charity in 2012, about 11,500 dedicated volunteer tutors have supported over 26,000 primary and secondary school pupils.  The impact report is released on the heels of our receipt of The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award in December, which recognised the service and impact of its inspiring volunteer tutors on disadvantaged young people across England.

Against the backdrop of the long-term challenges from the pandemic, the report also draws attention to the significant impact of Covid-19 on education and how it has hit disadvantaged young people the hardest. We are dedicated to reaching more disadvantaged pupils by partnering with schools and ensuring tutoring is embedded into the education system to give all pupils facing disadvantage, the opportunity to succeed academically.

Explaining the attainment gap, and education inequality in the UK

The attainment gap: Why a child’s wealth still determines their grades

If you’ve heard terms like ‘educational inequality’ or ‘the attainment gap,’ you might wonder what they actually mean. Put simply, they refer to one of the biggest injustices in the UK education system: where you start in life still dictates how far you can go.

This piece breaks down the attainment gap – what it is, why it matters, and how we can work together to close it.

Defining the gap: The unfair race

Imagine two runners starting a marathon.

One runner has new shoes, professional coaching, and a clear path ahead. The other runner is starting a mile behind, wearing old sneakers, and has no coach to guide them.

This is the attainment gap. It’s the persistent, measurable difference between the academic results of pupils from financially disadvantaged backgrounds (often those eligible for Free School Meals) and those from wealthier backgrounds.

It is not a reflection of intelligence or ability. Children from low-income families are just as capable as their peers, but they can have less access to the tools that support progress and potential, such as:

• Quiet places to study at home.
• Reliable, modern technology and internet access.
• Crucially, additional academic support like private tutoring.

The numbers

At primary school, disadvantaged pupils are less likely to meet expected standards in reading, writing and maths: In 2024, just 47% of disadvantaged pupils met expected standards, compared to 69% of non-disadvantaged pupils.

At secondary school, disadvantaged pupils are less likely to achieve a grade 4 in English or maths GCSEs: In 2025, just 44% of disadvantaged pupils passed both English and maths GCSE, compared to 73% of non-disadvantaged pupils.

The attainment gap grows wider at each progressive stage of education. The attainment gap is a complex, generational problem rooted in societal inequalities, but recent events have made it worse:

 

Regional divide

Inequality isn’t just between families; it’s between towns. Last year, students in London achieved significantly better GCSE results than those in other regions, demonstrating a persistent postcode lottery when it comes to education quality.

Watch our video: regional gaps explained.

The pandemic effect

COVID-19 lockdowns disproportionately impacted low-income families. While all children suffered disruption, those from deprived areas were less likely to have the necessary resources—a quiet room, a dedicated computer, or online private tutoring – to learn effectively from home.

The result? A deeper crisis in learning loss.

School funding crisis

Ironically, the schools with the highest number of disadvantaged students – the very places that need the most support – have often seen the largest decrease in spending per pupil over the last decade, making it harder for them to hire staff or fund crucial extra support.

Tutoring: The proven solution

While the problem is complex, the solution that helps bridge the gap is surprisingly simple and highly effective: high-quality, targeted tuition.

Research by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) proves that small group tuition has an average impact of four months’ additional progress over the course of a year.

This is where Action Tutoring steps in.

We exist to provide this proven, high-impact support free of charge to the young people who need it most. We partner with non-selective state schools to ensure every child, regardless of their family’s income, can access the dedicated maths and English support that wealthier students take for granted.

Our mission is to ensure educational support is a fundamental right, not a privilege.

You can be part of the solution

Whether you can give one hour a week as a volunteer tutor, or support us with a donation to help cover school costs, your action directly addresses one of the most significant social injustices in the UK.

Ready to start making a direct, measurable difference in a young person’s life?

Read more: