curriculum

How we develop our curriculum – four key steps

Developing an engaging and effective curriculum is a complex but crucial process. At the heart of our approach to tutoring is a commitment to adaptability, tutor empowerment, continuous improvement, and expert design.

This blog post will delve into the four key steps we take to develop our curriculum, ensuring it delivers high-quality, impactful tutoring experiences for pupils facing disadvantage in English and maths. From initial design to ongoing evaluation and innovation, we’ll explore how we craft resources that are not only flexible and engaging, but also empower our tutors to make a real difference.

Designed for adaptability and engagement

One hallmark of our curriculum is its flexibility. While our resources are designed for small groups, they can easily be adapted for one-on-one tutoring. For example:

• English sessions include writing scaffolds, sentence stems, and scripted questions to guide tutors in fostering discussion and reflection.
• Maths sessions balance procedural practice with intelligent practice, encouraging deep understanding rather than rote memorisation.
• Interactive features, such as vocabulary matching games and collaborative activities, ensure that every session is engaging and impactful.

Empowering tutors for effective delivery

We understand that even the best curriculum can fall flat without effective delivery. That’s why we invest in comprehensive training and support for our volunteer tutors. From webinars and live demonstrations to tailored feedback from quality assurance staff, tutors are equipped with the skills they need to:

• Form effective questions
• Model language and vocabulary
• Use a gradual release model (I do, we do, you do)
• Make in-session adjustments based on pupil needs

Our commitment to supporting tutors extends to the technical realm as well. Online tutors receive hands-on training in our bespoke learning platform, Vedamo, which includes tools like text boxes, highlighters, and collaborative whiteboards to enhance interaction.

Continuous improvement through evaluation

We are committed to maintaining the highest standards in our curriculum through a rolling cycle of review and updates. This includes:

• Biannual corrections: Minor issues in resources are identified and addressed twice a year.
• Annual curriculum reviews: Entire curricula are evaluated and enhanced, with input from tutors, Programme Coordinators, and schools.
• Standards for tutoring: We are developing a set of standards inspired by the DfE’s teaching standards to further guide and assess the quality of our tutoring sessions.

Delivering quality through expert educators

Our curriculum isn’t just written by subject experts – it’s crafted by experienced teachers who understand the needs of our target pupils. These Curriculum Leads bring years of classroom experience to the table, ensuring that every session is educationally sound and tailored for maximum impact.

And we know it works

We just released our 2023-2024 Impact Report. Last academic year was a year of record-breaking impact, growth, and advocacy. Our pupils outperformed national benchmarks, with Year 6 reading results reaching an all-time high and over 60% of disadvantaged GCSE pupils passing their tutored subject.

Innovation is at the heart of our curriculum. In the coming years, we plan to:

• Redesign our assessments to gather even more precise data on pupil progress.
• Explore the potential of AI to enhance curriculum delivery.
• Continue expanding and refining our DEI targets.

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:

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: