Equal Education: Response to National Tutoring Programme
The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and school closures are likely to have long-term potentially devastating impacts on the lives of young people. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds could fall further behind, as recent research shows they are less likely to be learning online, or learning at all.
Equal Education has been part of a collective effort to campaign government to provide catch-up support, and was a signatory of a letter sent by the Fair Education Alliance to the Secretary of State for Education.
The catch-up measures introduced today, including a National Tutoring Programme, are a thoroughly welcomed development. We are going to build on our existing partnerships with Local Authorities to develop and deliver schools-based individualised tuition learning programmes for our most disadvantaged learners.
Whilst many concerns remain with the risks posed to vulnerable young people during lockdown, significant work needs to be done to close the Digital Divide. As the Institute for Fiscal studies notes, the £650m to be provided directly to schools this year is modest relative to the scale of this challenge, and equates to an additional £80 per pupil.
The new academic year brings about a tutoring paradigm that is reminiscent of plans for every child to have a personal tutor created by the DCSF in 2007. As highlighted over a decade ago the benefits were clear and it is a fantastic result to have this programme roll out later this year.
We have been preparing for such an eventuality with our
Ongoing recruitment of qualified teachers as tutors across the country
Development of schools based tutoring programmes and evaluation
Partnerships to bridge the Digital Divide through our Technology Supply Service and Innovate UK grant
We look forward to hearing from new prospective schools and teachers who are interested in making the most of the new funding package and ultimately improve outcomes for our students.