Senior Management Team

Susannah Hardyman

I founded AT in 2011-12 with support from a brilliant group of people. I could see how much the private tutoring industry was booming, but at the same time it was clear how that only stood to exacerbate inequality for young people, when so many who could really benefit from the impact tutoring has are not able to afford it. It struck me that there were likely many talented people out there who would be willing to tutor for free for those who wouldn’t otherwise afford it and that hunch proved right. It’s the dedication, time and efforts of our now thousands of volunteer tutors that keeps us going and growing today!

I love how passionate the staff team are about Action Tutoring’s mission. Getting to work with such a motivated and talented group of people who really care about making a difference to young people’s lives is a huge privilege. I also really enjoy the variety of my role – from working with the team and board to further our vision and mission, to fundraising, advocacy work and connecting with new schools amongst many other things! I love getting people excited about what we’re doing and to see them come on the journey with us, whether as a staff or board member, funder, partner school, sector partner or volunteer tutor.

The effects of the pandemic on young people’s education are still being felt strongly, plus it’s a very challenging time for schools with the current financial pressures they are under. Both of those factors mean our work is needed more than ever to ensure that young people facing disadvantage can be given the support they need to unlock their potential. I’m excited that there are still so many opportunities for us to strengthen our model, demonstrate our impact and grow to reach new areas, supporting many more pupils.

Our team days are always a huge highlight of the year. Getting the whole team together has such a buzz and energy. I always leave inspired and motivated about what we can achieve together.

Jen Fox

I moved to the UK in 2012 to teach through Teach First with the aim to work in the education charity sector after I had experienced what it’s like to be in the classroom. Action Tutoring was the perfect fit for me as I loved working on projects that were focused on social mobility and social justice. And while my Genetics degree isn’t used much these days, it also gave me the skills to lead the projects we run in the Impact and Quality team here in AT.

I love that we never stop improving and innovating. No one is happy with anything less than a big impact and that’s really motivating. I also enjoy working with values-led colleagues who aren’t afraid to get stuck in to problem-solve. Action in name and action in nature!

I love being able to zoom in and out of the detail. One day I am working with Susannah on the five year strategy and then next I am supporting the Programme Team improve a small but important part of a process. Having the ability to work across several teams and with people who all think different is rewarding. I also love to nurture and support mangers to learn and grow their own skills.

I’m looking forward to adding to our evidence based for online tutoring. I’m also looking forward to how we use technology to enable scale. Overall, I’m looking forward to AT growing in quality and quantity.

For me the TOIL policy is a big bonus. I love that if I have an evening event I can take the time off in lieu without the worry it would go against our hard-working culture.

Fleur Peel

What brought me to Action Tutoring is it’s mission – that education is the key that unlocks a young person’s future. I believe passionately that everyone should have access to the same opportunities to succeed and I love that we are enabling that every day.

I have an inspiring team who constantly amaze me with their creativity and their enthusiasm. It’s a privilege to work with them every day. I also have a very varied role and no two days are the same, things are constantly changing which keeps me on my toes and always learning.

What I love about working at Action Tutoring is the brilliant passionate, supportive team; the clear focus on our mission and the drive to continually improve. In the future, I’m looking forward to continuing to improve what we do, having a bigger impact and ensuring more young people can benefit from our support from across the country.

I’ve found access to the Headspace app hugely valuable. From the short daily meditations to the sleep casts, there’s a huge range of supportive content which you can access day or night to help you prioritise your wellbeing.

Nicholas Bull

Joining Action Tutoring is a dream job of mine as I have previously studied it as part of my MSc as far back as 2018 and have since supported it personally. I love Action Tutoring’s commitment to measuring its impact and am proud to work for somewhere that seeks to support disadvantaged young people to achieve academically. The culture here at Action Tutoring is kind, hardworking, supportive and solution focused, and everyone is always willing to take time out of their busy schedules to help others. Many organisations say they live their values, but  Action Tutoring really does.

I enjoy the variety of my role and that no two days (or even hours!) are the same.

Emma Hooper

In a previous role, I worked as a youth worker in a children’s charity for some of the most disadvantaged and deprived children and young people in South East London. From seeing first hand how economic deprivation can impact a young person’s life before they have even got to school (no bedroom, desk, access to books, high levels of stress in the home etc.) I wanted to support young people achieve in education. I strongly believe in the power of education to improve the life chances of young people, and I often think a person, role model, tutor, has the power to do this.

At Action Tutoring I enjoy working with the wonderful, passionate, caring and interesting people. We are such a supportive team and are all really aligned in our mission. I really value and appreciate Action Tutoring’s focus on mental health and the existence of the Mental Health First Aid team. It ensures that I feel safe at work, and when times get tough, I have someone impartial and trained to speak to within the organisation to speak to, even if no solution is required.

I’m excited to expand to regions and areas with high levels of deprivation, through our virtual programmes, that we previously haven’t been able to reach before! There are so many schools in hard to reach areas who are under funded and supported.

Alice Nelson

I love talking to schools about the great work that we do and encouraging them to partner with us. I also love being able to visit programmes, sometimes to tutor, sometimes to talk to our pupils and tutors, and often to receive feedback from school leaders. Knowing that we are making a difference daily is inspiring. Having fantastic colleagues that I work with across the country makes hard work really enjoyable too.

As an organisation, I think one of our key strengths is our agility. Over the past few years we have worked hard to support our pupils in a post-pandemic world, changing systems and developing online tutoring to provide the best tutoring we can. We have recently started to work with schools outside of our core regions. I’m excited by the prospect of being able to reach more rural communities in the future, that aren’t always offered external interventions such as tutoring.

I really value our Team Days where we have a chance to work really collaboratively across all departments, and socialise with colleagues who we don’t work with on a day-to-day basis!

Hannah O’Neill

I was a volunteer A-Level Sociology tutor at a college in my hometown, which has really high-levels of disadvantage. I was working with bright students who had so much motivation and potential, but often needed support recognising that. I knew that without interventions such as tutoring, they might not have been in such a strong chance of succeeding. Having completed a degree based around understanding inequality in society and the impact of it, and witnessing first-hand the power of tutoring, Action Tutoring felt like the perfect opportunity to use my skills, passion and insights!

I love working in a team driven by passion, care and a genuine desire to make education a fairer space for children and young people. Working towards a shared vision really creates a sense of ‘belonging’.

I’m at my best when engaging others with our mission. As a Fundraising Manager, the opportunity to use language, impact and insights to bring people ‘on board’ with our vision is the absolute highlight of my role.

We have so much potential to help more pupils and genuinely change young lives forever. I’m excited for us to reach new geographies, support more pupils and engage more fantastic volunteers. We’re making a difference, and moreover we’re a key part of the difference.

Being provided with a subscription to Headspace is brilliant. It supports me with sleep, mindfulness and reflection, making a difference to both my personal and professional life.

Jasmin Bemmelen

What I like most about AT is the “can do” mentality and adjusting our procedures and delivery so that we can support our pupils as best we can. It’s about teamwork!

In my role I have the privilege of working closely with all departments and bringing the team together. I love the feeling you get when you complete an HR project and that the outcome really benefits the team because of the close collaboration.

As a non-native English speaker, I love the proofreading team. It’s the first time I’ve worked in a place where this exists. It gives me confidence in my communications and I feel less pressured by the need to have perfect written communication in order to be successful.