Breaking down barriers: Why tutoring must be part of education growth

Today at Labour Party Conference, I had the privilege of joining a panel on “A new tutoring model for breaking down barriers to opportunity and supporting education growth”, hosted by the Education Policy Institute. I was delighted to share the stage with Alice from Get Further and Jen from Action Tutoring – two leaders of organisations whose work I deeply admire. 
 
In my remarks, I made the case that tutoring is not just an educational intervention, but a powerful tool for social justice, economic renewal, and political confidence. Here are the four key points I set out: 

1. The social justice case 
 
The attainment gap between young people on free school meals and their more advantaged peers is widening, not narrowing. In the last three years alone, that gap has grown from 18 months to 21 months by the time students reach 16. 
 
This is not a uniform picture. In cities like Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds, the gap is closer to two years, compared with less than a year in London. Tutoring offers a way to address this stark regional inequality – giving children the support they need to thrive, regardless of background. 
 
 
 
2. The education case 
 
The Tutor Trust is unique in having completed two independent Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs). Both demonstrated that just 12 hours of tuition delivers, on average, an extra three months of learning progress. 
 
To put it another way: if children accessed seven rounds of this tuition between the ages of 5 and 16, we could close the attainment gap entirely. Tutoring works – and we have the evidence to prove it. 
 
 
 
3. The economic case 
 
The cost of underachievement is not just personal – it is regional and national. Poor GCSE results in English and maths hold back the North of England, fuelling the country’s productivity challenge. 
 
Tutoring can help turn this around. A Public First economic impact assessment showed that every £1 invested in tuition generates £6.58 of value for the wider economy. Tutoring is not just an educational reform – it’s a productivity strategy. 
 
 
4. The political case 
 
Finally, tutoring brings something politics often struggles to deliver: hope. Parents tell us time and again how much tutoring means to them, and how it lifts the aspirations of their children. This support is strongest in areas where trust in politics is weakest. 
 
In a time when public confidence in institutions is fragile, tutoring can be a unifying force – something that builds optimism rather than division. 
 
 
 
Tutoring should be at the heart of any Labour vision for education. It tackles inequality, strengthens outcomes, fuels the economy, and restores hope. 
 
It was an honour to make that case today alongside Alice, Jen, and the brilliant team at the Education Policy Institute. The challenge now is clear: to scale tutoring as a driver of fairness, productivity, and opportunity across the country.