At Pearson, we’re passionate about helping every child succeed and achieve their full potential through learning, which is why we are thrilled to have been chosen as a Tuition Partner for the government-funded National Tutoring Programme. As a Tuition Partner, we provide additional support for schools through subsidised tuition of disadvantaged pupils whose learning has been most affected by lockdown.  

The NTP is targeted to reach pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding. As their teachers, you know which of your learners these are. But schools have also been encouraged to ... " exercise their professional judgement to determine which pupils are in most need of support.

The key to making these judgements is to focus on the point that the tutoring is for any pupil whose learning has been most affected by lockdown. But what does it truly mean to be a pupil whose learning has been most affected by lockdown?  We have put together a simple checklist which you can use to determine which of your learners would most benefit from this tutoring opportunity.  

Overwhelmed parents 

Parental engagement is a sensitive topic. There are parents who simply do not or cannot engage in their children’s education but you, as teachers, will already have identified these children.  However, there are many parents who are hugely supportive of their children’s education, but who find themselves in the unenviable position of having to juggle full-time employment with home-schooling, and possibly multiple children in different age and teaching groups.  Children who may have been coasting in that middle-of-the-road sweet spot, just about meeting their age-related expectations, have increasingly found themselves falling behind. These are learners who might benefit from tuition, regardless of their socio-economic background.  

“I am a single parent of two bright Primary-aged children, and have a very good job which is now home-based. However, due to the demands of my job, I attend many meetings throughout the day. I find myself increasingly feeling that I am failing my children because I am unable to fully supervise their school work. My eldest child is spending more and more time playing online games, whilst my youngest is glued to the TV.”  

Disengaged learners 

Many older learners have become disheartened by repeated lockdowns, lack of social interactivity, exam cancellations and the uncertainty of what their academic future might hold. Perhaps they have ‘given up’ and fallen into a pattern of non-productive screen time rather than attending to their studies. These are learners who might benefit from tuition, especially tuition delivered online.  

“If I knew I had A Levels to revise for, I would have started my revision ages ago. But I don’t really see the point anymore.” 17-year-old future Veterinary Science student  

Increased anxiety and loss of confidence  

Many learners thrive in school settings and are motivated to learn as a result of their environment. They gain confidence from positive attention from their teachers and from the camaraderie of those around them. Extended periods of time at home away from the social setting of school, and the increased uncertainties of what the future might hold has caused learners to become more anxious and lose confidence in themselves and their own abilities. These are learners who might benefit from tuition, particularly in a small-group setting that builds on peer relationships. 

“My son is a bright boy and was top of the class. But since lockdown, he has become withdrawn, hides himself from Zoom lessons and is generally lacking confidence. He doesn’t want to do the work set for home learning and is now falling behind.”   

Targeted, small group tuition – delivered at-home or at-school, in an engaging online format – is ideal for addressing the needs of these learners. Confidence can be gently nurtured and progress steadily made allowing these learners the opportunity to have the futures that they truly deserve.  

For more information about the National  Tutoring Programme and booking subsidised tutoring through Pearson visit our National Tutoring Programme page.

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