Online tutoring pilot effectively supported disadvantaged pupils amid school closures, study finds
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Disadvantaged pupils can be effectively supported using one-to-one online tutoring during school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a study has found.
Among children involved in a tutoring pilot nine out of ten say they are more confident with their schoolwork. Other benefits are that children feel less concerned about the judgement of their peers and enjoyed the flexibility to learn at their own pace.
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Pupils also benefitted from the one-to-one support for issues they are struggling with.
The National Tutoring Programme pilot involved more than 1,300 pupils in Years 5 to 13 in 65 schools, who received at least one tutoring session between June and August.
A total of 7,000 lessons were delivered during the pilot in what is the first study into online tutoring in England amid the pandemic. The majority of pupils who took part are disadvantaged children.
The pilot helped pupils to “get personalised intervention in maths, increasing their engagement in a subject they don’t find easy”, said Rakhee Dattani, head of maths at one of the schools to take part, the Arts and Media School, in Islington, London.
“The few weeks of online tutoring has made a huge difference in their confidence and attainment in key topics in maths,” Dattani added.
Another teacher involved in the pilot said: “I’ve got one learner, a girl with autism, and she is flying. She loves that one-on-one attention that she is getting from the tutor and that she is missing from school.”
Meanwhile, one pupil who took part said: "When tutoring is one-to-one they [tutors] can really focus on what you're struggling with."
The pilot was organised by a partnership involving the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Impetus, the Sutton Trust and Nesta. Funding was provided by the EEF and other charitable funders including Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
“The National Tutoring Programme is designed to be a tool for teachers, complementing what goes on in the classroom during an extremely challenging year,” said EEF chief executive Becky Francis.
Earlier this month the EEF announced three new studies aimed at analysing the impact of support to schools amid Covid-19 closures.
