What are the key differences between the National Tutoring Programme and the ‘school-led tutoring’ scheme? Does it matter which one my school chooses? Expand In practice, the way Tutor Trust partners with your school and supports your pupils will be very similar with both the ‘School-Led Tutoring’ and the NTP. We are very happy for schools to work with us via NTP, or the ‘School-Led Tutoring’ scheme, or through both, depending on each school’s particular needs and budgets. The main difference is that under the NTP there is a rule that 65% of tutees should be Pupil Premium, and another rule that each pupil can only have one block of NTP tutoring in one subject, e.g. 15 hours of Maths tutoring. Under the ‘School-Led Tutoring’ scheme, the rules are not so strict about what percentage of tutees have to be Pupil Premium and each pupil can have tutoring in two or three different subjects. However, at Tutor Trust we have always encouraged schools to ensure that 80% of the tutees are disadvantaged (Pupil Premium, Looked After, in Alternative Provision or at risk of exclusion); this goal of 80% disadvantaged remains the same in 2021/22 for both NTP and School-Led Tutoring. We are keen to learn more about the cohort you have in mind so please talk to us about the pupils who need support.
My school has pupils who definitely need some tutoring but the percentage of them who are ‘disadvantaged’ (e.g. Pupil Premium) is quite low; is this a problem? Expand It might be, yet we will try to be flexible. At Tutor Trust, we have always encouraged schools to ensure that 80% of the tutees are disadvantaged (Pupil Premium, Looked After, in Alternative Provision or at risk of exclusion). We want most of our tutoring to reach those who need it most. We respect the fact that teachers in school are best placed to decide which pupils both need tutoring AND will engage positively with our tutors. We know that the impact of the pandemic means that some pupils who don’t ‘tick a particular disadvantage box’ still really need a tutor. Under the National Tutoring Programme, the rule in 2021/22 is that 65% of tutees should be Pupil Premium. The rules are less strict under the ‘School-Led Tutoring’ scheme. But under both schemes we are still encouraging all schools to aim for 80% disadvantaged, please. Please talk to us about which pupils you want to have a tutor and we’ll take it from there.
How much does tuition cost in 2021/22? Expand As a charity, Tutor Trust has always charged a low cost to schools for our services. Under the two Government schemes, the costs for schools are very low indeed because of the generous subsidies. Schools can use Recovery Premium funding or their regular Pupil Premium budget to cover their contributions. The true cost of supporting pupils is the same for Tutor Trust under both schemes, but the level of Government subsidy is slightly different for the two schemes, so the charges are slightly different in 2021/22: Under the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), the DfE is covering 70% of the costs, with schools paying a contribution of just 30%. The 70% will be paid directly by the NTP to Tutor Trust; we will invoice schools for the remaining 30%. Under the ‘school-led tutoring’ programme, schools will receive £203 for 60% of all their pupils who are eligible for Pupil Premium (the figure is £529 per pupil for Alternative Provision settings, Special Schools and Hospital Schools). This extra DfE grant to schools is covering 75% of the tutoring costs, with schools paying a contribution of just 25%. We will invoice schools for all these costs. What does this mean in practice? Under both schemes, Tutor Trust will deliver most tutoring in small groups, with one tutor working with 3 pupils at a time (whether face-to-face or online). This 1:3 ratio is the most cost-effective model for schools. Under the National Tutoring Programme, for tutoring on a 1:3 ratio, a block of 15 hours of tutoring in either Maths, English or Science will cost schools just £75 per pupil for the full programme. Under the ‘school-led tutoring’ programme, for tutoring on a 1:3 ratio, a block of 15 hours of tutoring in either Maths, English or Science will cost schools just £62.50 per pupil for the full programme. Below are the full details of the financial contributions from schools under the two programmes: NTP 1 'School-led tutoring' 2 Secondary School Block of Tutoring (15 children for 15 hours in one subject) 1:3 £1,125 (£75 per pupil) £937.50 (£62.50 per pupil) 1:2 (14 children) £1,575 (£112.50 per pupil) £2,415 (£172.50 per pupil) 3 1:1 (per child) £225 per pupil £547.50 per pupil 3 Primary School Block of Tutoring (12 children for 15 hours in one subject) 1:3 £900 (£75 per pupil) £750 (£62.50 per pupil) 1:2 £1,350 (£112.50 per pupil) £2,070 (£172.50 per pupil) 3 1:1 (per child) £225 per pupil £547.50 per pupil 3 1 Under NTP, schools will be invoiced for the subsidised tuition cost. 2 Under the 'school-led tutoring' programme, schools will be invoiced for the full tuition cost based on £50 per hour but the DfE grant will reduce the cost to schools to the amounts shown. 3 The 'school-led tutoring' grant is capped at £13.50 per hour. As the full tuition cost is £50 per hour, on a 1:1 and 1:2 basis the 75% subsidy does not apply to the full cost with only the first £18 per hour per pupil being subsidised.
How does tuition work? Expand Tutor Trust has ten years of experience of partnering with schools and boosting outcomes for pupils; we make it as easy as possible for schools to run successful tutoring programmes and we have a number of resources to help schools. In practice, the way Tutor Trust partners with your school and supports your pupils will be very similar with both the ‘school-led tutoring’ and the NTP. Please see the School FAQs for any questions about our tuition programmes. You can also read our Primary and Secondary School Partnership Guides for advice and ideas.
How do I register my school’s interest in working with Tutor Trust? Expand We urge schools to complete a short form if they are interested in using our tutors. This form will take just 3 minutes to complete. As soon as we receive your completed form, a member of staff from the Tutor Trust office in your city will be in touch with you within 48 hours to have a conversation. There is a separate form for Secondary and for Primary and the links to the forms are below. Please also use these forms for tutoring for LAC and AP pupils. Primary Secondary
Is there a maximum number of tutors or blocks? Expand No. There is no limit to the number of blocks a school can request in total, as we expect some schools will want to book blocks of tutoring for different year groups and different subjects. However, we anticipate that demand will outstrip our supply of tutors and we will allocate our resources on a first come, first served basis. NB: Under the National Tutoring Programme, each pupil can only have one block of tutoring in one subject, e.g. 15 hours of Maths tutoring. If the same pupil also needs tutoring in English and/or Science, we will gladly provide that tutoring through the ‘school-led tutoring’ scheme.
Can pupils who had NTP tutoring in 2020/21 have the subsidised tutoring again in the 2021/22 school year? Expand Yes. Pupils who had NTP tutoring in the previous 2020/21 school year can have NTP tutoring again in 2021/22. They are also eligible for tutoring in one or more subjects under the ‘school-led tutoring’ scheme in 2021/22.
What is the turnaround time for requests? Expand We work pretty quickly! The turnaround time that it takes for tutoring programmes to be up and running largely depends on how quickly the school lets us know their request. For us to find the right tutors for your schools, it depends on the location, the number of tutors, the tuition/school timetable and whether it is online or face-to-face. Please register your interest through the short Google doc and then have further conversations, as appropriate, with the relevant School Coordinator to discuss.
Is it the same price for online and face-to-face? Expand Yes. Online tutoring is the same price as face-to-face and has the same subsidies as face-to-face. NB: face-to-face tutoring is strongly encouraged as the evidence shows it is far more effective than online. Please speak to a School Coordinator if you are considering online tuition. To proceed with online tuition, firewall exceptions will need to be arranged and our platform ‘Vedamo’ will need to be whitelisted. Furthermore, students will need access to laptops and headphones, etc.
Can schools use catch-up funding (‘Recovery Premium’) and Pupil Premium funds to pay their contribution to the tuition costs? Expand Yes. Schools can use extra ‘catch-up’ funding from the Government or their regular Pupil Premium budget to cover these modest costs. NB: For the ‘school-led tutoring’ scheme, the subsidised element of the costs also has to be paid by the school, using the ring-fenced funding that schools will get.