The National Tutoring Programme for catch-up tuition begins in England next week.
The scheme is aimed at disadvantaged pupils that the Government says were hardest hit when schools closed.
“This is about levelling up those opportunities,” said Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson. How does it work? This blog post explains.
What is the catch-up tuition?
Earlier this year, the Government announced a £1bn package to support catch-up funding. Disadvantaged pupils are believed to have fallen 12 months behind on learning during school closures this year.
32 organisations have been selected to deliver the programme designed for pupils from poorer families aged five to 16.
The tutoring will be subsidised by 75% and some sessions could cost schools as little as £50 for a block of 15, say the organisers.
The programme’s main aims include:
- Tens of thousands of pupils enrolled before the end of term, with provision increasing after Christmas
- Schools able to choose the provider and type of tutoring that suits them best, whether face-to-face or online
- 15,000 tutors ranging from post-graduate students to qualified teachers and volunteers
We need to everything in our power to help pupils make up for any lost time, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Tutoring provides tailored teaching support to individual pupils and can be transformational in boosting academic progress.
This is about levelling up those opportunities across the country.
How have academic bodies reacted to the catch-up tuition?
Education Endowment Foundation chairman Sir Peter Lampl said:
For too long, low income pupils have not been able to afford tutoring.
This is an important step in enabling them to access it.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
It is an incredibly complicated way of delivering catch-up support when it would have been far simpler and quicker for the Government to have given this funding directly to schools alongside other catch-up money.
There is good evidence that small group tuition can be extremely beneficial, but this funding could have been used to support schools in delivering this through their teaching staff who already know their pupils, rather than this system in which schools buy in subsidised tuition from external agencies.
Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of school leaders union NAHT said the scheme was not enough to help all pupils in need:
The scope of the National Tutoring Programme this year appears to be capped at 250,000 pupils – a significant number but still a fraction of the 1.4 million children in receipt of free school meals.
EDClass can help with student catch up
EDClass can support students’ catch up learning needs.
Our online platform is ideal for additional support for GCSE retakes, Year 7 catch-up and students with low literacy and numeracy. The platform provides:
- Access to over 11,000+ lessons
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- Subjects including Maths, English and Science
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- A wide range of safeguarding features
To find out more, call 01909 568 338.
