The Tutor Trust was recently selected as one of the organisations to present to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership Education and Skills Review, which is investigating why educational attainment at 16 is significantly lower across the North when compared to other regions.

Earlier this year, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, chaired by George Osborne, set up this Education and Skills review to develop a better understanding of what efforts are underway across the North and gain insight from the third sector.  Tutor Trust was invited to present to members of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership Education and Skills Review Board including Collette Roche, Chief of Staff Manchester Airports Group; Lufthur Rahman, Education Portfolio Holder, Manchester City Council; and Andrew McPhillips, Chief Economist at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. Co-Founders Abigail Shapiro and Nick Bent were delighted to be invited to present the work of the Tutor Trust, and the contribution it has made to raising the attainment of pupils across Greater Manchester. 

Since its first tuition session in 2012, the Tutor Trust has delivered over 75,000 hours in over 300 schools and has worked with over 10,000 young people, mostly those on free school meals or Looked After Children.

                       

Abigail and Nick commented:

“We are thrilled to have been asked to contribute to this review and, we hope, form part of the final report when it is published in early 2018.  The Tutor Trust aims to democratise one-to-one tuition and helps tackle educational inequality.”

“As a unique charity, and Manchester born and bred, we are proud of all the work we have done in this great city and beyond with tutors now working across the whole of Greater Manchester and Leeds.”

“Too many disadvantaged pupils in England are underperforming, especially those in Northern Secondary schools. Bright pupils are not being stretched and struggling pupils are falling even further behind.  And the outcomes for Looked After Children are appalling.”

“Sadly most of the underperforming councils in the UK are based in the North and therefore this is a big problem in the North that must be addressed.  But there is rock solid evidence for the benefits of tuition and, as a charity, the Tutor Trust are able to provide high quality tuition at an affordable price.”

“And this is a scalable solution, and we have plans to grow our services even further.  Tutor Trust began in Manchester in 2012 and then expanded into Leeds in 2015.  In autumn 2016, Tutor Trust won the national prize for ‘Best New Charity in Britain’ at the Charity Times Awards and the ‘Best Partnership’ prize at the Spirit of Manchester Awards.  In June 2017, Tutor Trust won the top ‘Spirit of Community’ award from Yorkshire Bank.  We are launching in Liverpool in this academic year and believe that in the fullness of time we can work in any city in the UK.

“Earlier this year we submitted evidence to the Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield,  for her report ‘Growing Up North’ and to the Social Mobility Commission.  We aim to be part of the solution to a problem that needs dealing with and we are willing to help in any way that we can.”