The programme has come under criticism for not effectively supporting the most disadvantaged pupils. This includes concerns raised last month by the National Audit Office that despite government investment in the programme, disadvantaged primary school pupils are 3.23 months, on average, behind pupils from wealthier backgrounds.
But latest evidence from the Sutton Trust’s Covid Social Mobility and Opportunities Study has found that this tutoring in school is successfully involving children from low-income households.
It found that almost a third of pupils from the worst-off households are taking up in-school tutoring, compared to just over a fifth of the most well off.
This is “levelling the playing field”, according to the Trust, as private tutoring overall is accessed by 32 per cent of affluent pupils, compared to just 13 per cent of the worst off.
It added that the “total proportion of pupils accessing any form of tutoring”, including in school and privately, is now “almost level between the most and least deprived thanks to the growth of in-school tutoring”.
It found that 39 per cent of the most well off are accessing tutoring, compared to 37 per cent of those from the worst-off households.
In addition, regions with the lowest rates of private tutoring, in the North East, East Midlands and Yorkshire, have the highest rates of in-school tutoring take up, added the Trust.
“Although there have been issues with delivery, the NTP has been an exciting new development,” said Sutton Trust chairman Peter Lampl.
“It has changed the landscape of tutoring, giving young people the opportunity to receive tuition who would never have been able to afford it. Rather than treating it as a short-term catch-up programme, it should be part of an ongoing national effort to tackle the attainment gap.”
The Sutton Trust is calling for the NTP to refocus on ensuring tutoring is offering quality provision to ensure “value for money and effectiveness of in-school tutoring going forward”. It also wants to see stricter targets in place to ensure uptake among children who are eligible for the pupil premium.
The National Foundation for Educational Research’s head of classroom practice and workforce Ben Styles welcomed the Trust’s emerging evidence of a narrowing of the gap around tutoring access.
However, he added: “As teachers continue to deploy tutoring in schools, they need evidence on what kind of models work well to ensure this valuable resource is not squandered.”
