WIREDGOV

- Ministers call for a tutor army to give intensive support to pupils falling behind -

 

- Over 25,000 one-to-one tutors registered in just 10 weeks but more to do -

 

- Balls says tuition is 'no longer sole preserve of well-off' -

 

Up to 300,000 pupils at risk of falling behind in English and maths will get one-to-one tuition this school year, at the start of the Government's £468m national programme to drive up primary and secondary standards.

 

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said that thousands of seven-to-16-year olds this year will get intensive bursts of 10 hours one-to-one tuition with a qualified tutor to get them back on track in the basics – up to 150,000 in English and 150,000 in maths.

 

It is the first step to reaching the Government's commitment that by March 2011, 300,000 pupils overall in English and 300,000 overall in maths will be getting one-to-one tuition a year - with GCSE students in schools in the most challenging circumstances also getting support.

 

Mr Balls said one-to-one was a vital way to get children who may have fallen back over the long-summer holidays up to speed quickly. The Government's Expert Group on Assessment recommended in May that tuition for 11 and 12-year-olds was vital to smooth pupils' progress when they changed schools at 11.

 

And he said he wanted to create an army of tutors from newly-qualified, existing, retired and part-time teachers to drive up pupils' progress and improve their own professional development.

 

Over 25,000 one-to-one tutors have already registered with the Training and Development Agency since it launched its recruitment campaign in June - with the overall aim of reaching up to 100,000 by 2010/11.

 

Tutors will get paid an hourly rate of between £25 to £29 out of school hours and schools can take on full-time tutors so that tuition can take place during normal classroom hours, as well as evenings and weekends.

 

A wide range of teachers have signed up as tutors so far: some are full-time teachers looking to expand their range of teaching skills; some are teachers returning from maternity leave who are attracted to the flexible hours; and others are retired teachers who want to continue to support children who need extra help.

 

It comes after 50,000 pupils have benefited from Government funded one-to-one tuition programme to date over the last two years - with clear evidence students making remarkable progress quickly.

 

And it follows proposals to legislate to give a legally guaranteed support from September 2010 for pupils at risk of falling behind in English and maths - the school's White Paper in June set out specific, enforceable entitlements for all children and young people during their school careers.

 

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said:

 

"This is a big step forward to helping all children reach their potential at school.

 

"I want to create real momentum over the next two years. Thousands of tutors have already come forward with a huge commitment to improve children's progress - but I think we've got the potential to create an army of highly qualified tutors to help pupils get most out of primary school and hit the ground running at secondary.

 

"No child should stall or get stuck at any stage of their education. We know that many children at certain points of their school careers benefit from a short burst of tailored, individual support, on top of effective class teaching - particularly changing schools at 11.

 

"There is already clear evidence that where one-to-one tuition is being used, many children are making marked improvements in English and maths and improving their attitude, confidence and motivation in class.

"Nationally results in primary and secondary school have risen hugely over the last decade. But we've never made any bones about needing to target the small minority in danger of falling behind or not making as fast progress as their peers - particularly those with SEN, who need the most support.

 

"This is a clear statement that the time that one-to-one tuition was the sole preserve of the well-off or for parents to struggle to afford fees is over. This means that all pupils will get the extra support, if they need it, to get back on track, whatever their family's income."

 

Over 15,000 7 to 14 year olds are getting up to ten hours one-to-one tuition as part of the Making Good Progress pilot in 450 schools - where teachers identify pupils who are 'stuck', 'slow moving' or falling behind national expectations during the latter stage of each Key Stage.

 

The interim evaluation of the programme, published last December, found that tuition had had a positive impact on pupil confidence and motivation, as well as having an impact on the quality of pupils' learning and their progression back in the classroom.

 

A further 36,000 10 and 11-year-olds have had one-to-one tuition in the spring and summer terms this year - as part of the build up to the national scheme starting. That's on top the Every Child A Reader and Every Child Counts schemes which uses one-to-one and small group tuition to target under-7s who are in danger of falling behind by the time they start.

 

The Pupil Guarantee, proposed in the White Paper, means that every pupil starting Key Stage 2 behind expectations in English and maths and who is not on course to make good progress over the Key Stage will have guaranteed one-to-one tuition - so they can make at least two levels of progress by the end of primary school.

 

And every 11-year-old struggling in the basics and behind expectations in English and maths when they start secondary school, will get either one-to-one or small group support in Year 7, to get them back on track.

 

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'

1. Information about the TDA's national tutor recruitment campaign is at: http://www.tda.gov.uk/teachers/onetoonetuition

 

2. One-to-One Tuition

 

• Ministers announced £15m funding last December to prepare the ground for one-to-one being introduced nationally this September.

 

• Spring and Summer terms 2009: This would give 36,000 10 and 11-year-olds short bursts of up to 10 hours tuition in either subject, on top of their normal classes, to get them back on track before they reach secondary schools. The cash will help local authorities to provide dedicated support to recruit and train tutors; ensure tutors work closely with schools to discuss children's progress; and monitor and evaluate their impact.

 

• In 2009-2010: We are providing funding to support 3.5% of the Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3 (and in National Challenge schools Key Stage 4) cohort in each of English and maths

 

• In 2010 - 2011: We will provide one to one tuition to 300,000 pupils overall in English and 300,000 children overall in mathematics. This will cover the Pupil Guarantee commitments.

 

3. Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future: Building A 21st Century Schools System set out proposals for the Pupil Guarantee to include one-to-one tuition and small group working. More details are available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0116

 

4. Making Good Progress

 

• One-to-one tuition has been piloted as part of the Making Good Progress programme in 450 primary and secondary schools in England.

 

• The independent evaluation of the pilots' first year, published last December by PriceWaterhouseCooper, found that short bursts of tailored, individual support, on top of effective whole-class teaching or small group support, meant that children are making improvements in English and maths and improving their attitude, confidence and motivation in class.

 

In particular:

 

• Positive response from heads, pupils and parents:
o 86% of pilot headteachers believe that one-to-one tuition has increased progression in their school;
o 68% of parents and carers believe their child enjoys one-to-one tuition;
o 86% of primary pupils said they were more interested in their school work after tuition; and over six in ten primary and secondary pupils say their results have improved.

 

• Faster progression:
o teacher assessment showed that a higher proportion of pupils getting tuition progressed faster than pupils who did not - in Key Stage 2 English reading and writing and mathematics and Key Stage 3 reading and writing

 

• Getting one-to-one tuition up and running:
o 92% of headteachers in the pilot said one-to-one tuition had started in their school - but specific issues arose around recruiting tutors; workload issues; and tutors and teachers working closer together.

 

• PwC reports that the Government has acted to prepare the ground for the national expansion of the programme and improve recruitment of tutors, including increasing their hourly pay rate (including on-costs), from £25 to £29-£33, and allowing tuition to take place during the school day.

 

• Aside from one to one tuition, the pilot aims to raise rates of progression throughout the key stages through the introduction of four other measures:
o Assessment for Learning: Teachers in the pilot are tracking pupils' progress to sub-level termly in reading, writing and mathematics using Assessment for Learning techniques to ensure that they know where each pupil is with their learning and what the next steps should be.
o Single Level Tests: Once teachers are sure that the pupil is operating securely at the next level they can enter them for a 'single-level' test to confirm this judgement.
o Progression Targets: Pilot schools have introduced targets to increase the number of pupils making two levels of progress.
o Progression Premium: A payment to recognise the work of schools in improving rates of progression for those children, having entered the Key Stage behind expectations in either English and/or mathematics, and who go on to make two levels of progress.

 

5. Expert Group on Assessment

 

The Expert Group recommended in April to bring in new measures to smooth the transition of 11-year-olds to secondary schools. These included:

 

• Developing an 'extended study', which all pupils would begin in their last year at primary school and complete at secondary school - as has already been introduced as part of the London Challenge programme

 

• All year 6 pupils to visit their new school toward the end of the summer term;

 

• More primary schools should use 'graduation' certificates to recognise each child's strengths in a range of subjects and areas before moving to secondary schools;

 

• Focussing one-to-one tuition in Year 7 and Year 8 on children entering KS3 below national expectations - with the ongoing review of school funding post-2011 to specifically assess how to support transition and catch-up in Year 7 and Year 8.

 

Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk