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University supports effort of the new National Tutoring Programme

05 Nov 2020

Students can sign up as tutors to disadvantaged pupils

On 2 November the new National Tutoring Programme (NTP) was launched. The NTP brings together 32 organisations which have been selected to deliver high-quality tutoring to disadvantaged pupils. The NTP is a nation-wide response to start to address the impact of school closures during the pandemic, particularly in areas of disadvantage. 

The NTP was established in response to clear evidence that Covid-19 is likely to widen the attainment gap between poorer pupils and their peers in English schools. It is funded as part of the Government’s £350m allocation to tutoring, through the £1bn coronavirus catch up package. Extensive evidence shows that children can make significant progress with high-quality tutoring, this includes previous evaluation of the Tutor Trust by the Education Endowment Fund. 

One of the NTP delivery partners is the Tutor Trust which the University has supported since its inception in 2011 in Manchester. Since then it has expanded across Greater Manchester and into Liverpool and Leeds reaching 2,595 pupils during 2019-20. Many of these pupils will have benefited from the work the Tutor Trust did to pivot to an online delivery model during school closures.  

Last year the Trust worked with 122 schools across Greater Manchester and around three quarters of tutors working in these schools are current University of Manchester students or recent graduates. As a key delivery partner of the National Tutoring Programme, the University is supporting the current recruitment drive for new tutors as the Trust will need to significantly increase the number of tutors it employs. The Trust aims to support 4,500 pupils this year, requiring about 1,000 tutors. The Trust is also keen to ensure that students who have progressed through the University’s widening participation scheme and those who are from Greater Manchester are well represented in their tutor cohort. 

Stephanie Lee, Head of Widening Participation said, ‘We are delighted to be supporting the Tutor Trust as one of the key delivery partners of the National Tutoring Programme. Not only will this bring much needed support to local schools but provides an excellent opportunity for our students to gain valuable experience and employment.’ 

To support this current recruitment effort an information session for students is being held on Wednesday 11 November, 1pm – 2pm where students can hear from current tutors from the University. Students can register their interest using this online survey.

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