As the countdown to this year’s SATs and GCSEs begins in earnest, schools are turning in increasing numbers to Tutor Trust to support their pupils to achieve their potential.

Almost 3,200 pupils from just under 120 schools across Greater Manchester, Leeds-Bradford and Merseyside have started tuition with us since September. Of those, 255 have received a full block of 12-plus hours of tutoring, and nearly 1,500 have had more than six hours with us. 

All these hours of tutoring mean that hundreds of young people are well on their way to feeling more confident in the exam room as 12 hours of tuition in a subject is the number that ensures the greatest impact.  The findings of our successful Randomised Control Trial showed that pupils who received one hour a week of Maths tutoring over a period of 12 weeks made three months additional progress compared with similar children in the control schools. 

As we move into February, Nick Bent, Co-Founder of Tutor Trust and Chief Executive, and Abigail Shapiro, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tutor Trust, say that it’s vital that we start tutoring programmes in schools as swiftly as possible to enable pupils to have the full 12 hours of support that they need, especially after the disruption of the last couple of years.

“There’s a real sense of urgency now and every day we’re receiving enquiries from new schools for tutoring from across the North of England. 

“Fortunately, our high-quality tutoring is more accessible than ever, with subsidies from the National Tutoring Programme or the School-Led Tutoring Grant ensuring reduced costs.

“It’s good news that so many pupils have been tutored for the full 12 hours, and that many more are already halfway through their programme, as we know demand will continue to increase as we approach exam season.

“We’re fortunate to have so many highly-trained tutors who really want to make a difference in their communities, and a pipeline of students, graduates, and professionals starting training with us each month, as we need them now more than ever.”

We offer financial rewards to our tutors and pay an impressive £20 to plan and deliver an hour’s tuition, with additional bonuses paid as tutors deliver their first hour of tuition and when they have delivered 30 hours.  This academic year, 236 tutors have been awarded a £20 bonus for delivering their first tutoring session, and a further 70 have been awarded a £100 bonus for delivering 30 hours.  And many of our tutors speak about the other rewards of supporting young people to achieve their potential.

For mature student Lucy Moreau, who tutors for us in schools across Merseyside alongside her studies for a PhD in Irish Literature at the University of Liverpool, it is the progress her pupils make that is priceless.

She has worked with Looked After Children (LAC) and those in Alternative Provision (AP) settings and said of one of her pupils, a young girl: “When I started working with her at the beginning of the term. she could not even look me in the eye or talk to me, and is now reading fluently and her comprehension is fantastic. It has been a real privilege to work with her.”

To ensure we can continue to meet the demand from schools, especially as we approach exams, we’re looking to recruit more highly-motivated individuals who want to make a difference in their community.  If you’d like to support young people to achieve their potential, and would be able to tutor with us for a minimum of three hours a week, please apply to train as a tutor with us.