“The attainment gap does not have to be inevitable.” Action Tutoring CEO reflects on the charity’s achievements and future impact
My awareness of the difference targeted, extra support could make for pupils started at an early age. I had some tutoring at the end of primary school and I can still remember and picture my tutor, Mrs Shields, not least because as much as helping me grasp subject knowledge I was struggling with, she hugely improved my confidence and self-belief. Even at a young age I think I felt an awareness that those opportunities that were given to me shouldn’t just be available to those whose parents can afford them.
In the UK there is sadly a large gap in attainment between poorer and wealthier pupils, beginning in primary school and only widening at the secondary level, to reach a 27 percentage point difference in attainment in English and maths at GCSE. This isn’t because of a lack of ability and many other countries manage to achieve a much smaller attainment gap.
Tutoring can be an effective way to level the playing field, especially considering that 25% of pupils nationally and over 40% in London are now having private tutoring at some point. It’s a booming industry giving many a big advantage, but for the most part serving young people that are already doing well and not reaching those falling behind if their parents are unable to afford the support.
Welcoming over 100 guests representing our funders, partner schools, volunteer tutors, fellow charities and corporates, to the evening, Helen Hayes said, “the work [of Action Tutoring] plays a significant role in helping pupils to remain engaged in education for longer”, ultimately improving the life outcomes of the young people involved and bringing benefits to the wider economy and society.
In addition to hearing from Helen and Nick, two pupils from the programme bravely shared the difference Action Tutoring has made to them in their studies, with Olivia, who is now studying for her A Levels and who plans to go to university saying, “Tutoring sessions create a comfortable environment that can help to boost your confidence. The tutors paid attention to what we were doing and would check if we understood everything. Tutoring offered me guidance and personal attention that I wouldn’t find in a school setting. I believe that Action Tutoring had the biggest impact on my life.”
Our pupils face considerable challenges in their lives and I am constantly impressed at their resilience and willingness to attend tutoring sessions outside of school hours. Last week I visited one of our partner primary schools in South London. The head pointed to a small group of four pupils all on the Action Tutoring programme. He explained that of the four, one comes from a single parent family with that parent dying of cancer, another is being bought up by an elderly carer instead of her parents, one is a looked after child and the fourth lives with her mother who is very committed to her daughter’s education but is sadly herself completely illiterate. When we talk about disadvantage, these are the real challenges these pupils face. Helping them make progress against the circumstances they face isn’t easy or straight forward, but it is possible, and these pupils deserve all the help we can give them.
Action Tutoring has ambitious plans to continue to grow, especially outside of London where the attainment gap is even larger. Autumn 2017 saw us launch in our seventh city, Newcastle, and this autumn we are aiming to launch in our eighth, Nottingham. Alongside this, we’ll continue to expand our growing primary programme and deepen our reach in current areas of operation. Last night was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all that’s been achieved so far, right in the heart of government, and we look forward continuing to ensure our programme is as high quality and impactful as possible, to benefit even more young lives.