Online tutoring pilot launched for disadvantaged pupils
A new online tuition pilot to support disadvantaged pupils has been started
Led by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), Sutton Trust, Impetus and Nesta, the new initiative will bring tutoring to up to 1,600 pupils in disadvantaged communities over the coming weeks, supporting schools as they open for more pupils.
Four different models will be tested under the pilot. Action Tutoring will pilot online tuition in core subjects using structured workbooks, for up to 100 students in Years 6 and 10 in three cities.
MyTutor will use handpicked undergraduate tutors to provide live, interactive one-to-one tuition supporting up to 1,000 pupils in years 10/11.
The Access Project will support 440 students in Years 10/11 and Years 12/13 who would normally receive face-to-face tuition through a new online model.
Tutor Trust will adapt their small-group tuition model, and offer one-to-one online tutoring for 100 students in Years 5 and 10 across Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Leeds.
While there is strong evidence that face-to-face tuition is a highly effective approach to help pupils catch up, less is known about how to deliver online tuition to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, whether this is effective, and under what conditions it can be delivered well.
The pilot will be independently evaluated by NatCen to assess the potential for online tuition to mitigate against the impact of school closures on the attainment gap.
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