Pupil Premium Funding

A GUIDE TO WORKING WITH STUDENTS VIA PUPIL PREMIUM FUNDING

In light of the National Tutoring Programme making tutoring partners available in schools, we spoke with Tutors Green whose bread and butter is placing tutors in school to try and make first-class tuition accessible to more students. The majority of their work is funded by Pupil Premium – this funding can now be used by schools to access subsidised tuition through the recently launched National Tutoring Programme.

This blog covers: 

• What is Pupil Premium funding: Who is eligible?
• Contributing factors to the attainment gap: Limited access to recourses 
• Tuition for all rather than a select few: Making high quality tuition accessible for all 
• Key principles of high quality tuition: Words from Tutors Green

WHAT IS PUPIL PREMIUM FUNDING?

Pupil premium refers to a grant made available from the Government in attempt to decrease the attainment gap in children who are at a disadvantage due to either family income or upheaval.

 This includes children who have:

• Claimed free school meals in the last 6 years
• Children who has left care from their Local Authority, previously referred to as ‘Looked after Children’ aka LAC
• However, as well as this, pupil premium is allocated to academically able pupils, but from disadvantaged backgrounds, as they are most at risk of under-performing. 

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ATTAINMENT GAP 

Pupils from disadvantaged cohorts are not less academically able, but rather lack access to tools and resources necessary for high quality learning. Private tutoring rates vary widely anywhere between £15-70+/hr, but a London average is around £35/hr (depending on the agency and the type of tuition service being provided). As such, most families who recruit ‘private tutor’ are from a different social economic status than those children who are eligible for pupil premium funding. Children from disadvantaged financial and family backgrounds may have limited access to the following:

• Physical resources at home such as access to stationary, a desk, space to work, or a personal computer.
• Experiences outside of their local communities.
• Access to current technology or proficiency with digital devices might also be limited.
• Parental expectation for their child might be more in line with existing family vocations.
• Awareness of the value of education in their chosen career choice may be underplayed.
• After school supervision could be limited if the child has a single or low earning parent.

It is worth noting that children from higher income families are also at risk of being disadvantaged, but often in different ways.

TUITION FOR ALL, RATHER THAN A SELECT FEW 

Typically, the tuition market is associated in affluent circles and private sectors, but many agencies and charities provide services aimed specifically at the state and public sector – one such company is Tutors Green who are also one of our affiliate training agencies.

Tutors Green was founded in 2015 and has quickly become a leading tuition provider in the UK. They provide first-class private tuition delivered by expert tutors and qualified teachers. Their mission is to make high-quality tuition accessible to all students, rather than a select few. To date, Tutors Green has grown a network of expert tutors and qualified teachers, that have helped thousands of students build confidence and achieve their academic goals.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF HIGH-QUALITY TUITION 

We spoke to Tutors Green’s Operations Manager, Merenna, who summarised four valuable lessons learnt from running small group tuition programmes in state primary and secondary schools. Merenna ultimately believes that the best tuition support comes down to having a person-centred approach and here are her four key learnings: 

1. Be flexible and adaptable. Flexible with your approach, willingness to adapt lesson content at any time, and flexible with your time. It’s something that gets easier with practice. Something that works with one student might not work with another - they are completely different people after all.  
   

2. Education should be fun. Especially in London, where the majority of tutoring takes place, there can be so much pressure on young people to get certain results and the enjoyment of learning can take a backseat in that process. It’s hard for anyone to stay engaged in a process they are not enjoying or are finding stressful! Students who are taught with their interests in mind have more of a stake in their learning, and both students and tutors can enjoy their work more. Really get to know your students, give them the opportunity to teach you about their hobbies. Not everyone likes poetry the first time they are introduced to it, but a student might like rap music, which is cut from the same cloth. That can be a good place to start then build from there. 

   
   
3. Forming new habits takes time. The students we work with who have disengaged from education can find it challenging to get back into a routine. Patience, and building really strong rapport are some of the ways to try and assist with this. It’s also key to find out about how students like to work; for example, if they learn from watching video clips, or benefit from taking small breaks. A lot of young people have never been asked about this before, and it can make a huge difference when they realise for themselves what works for them.
   
   
4. It takes a village. Education is a multidisciplinary approach. Many of the success stories we’ve had are down to the dedication of our amazing tutors, the support of the schools we work with and the collaborative efforts of every stakeholder we work with. There’s no way of cutting corners with adopting a joined-up approach; it does take time and effort. But it’s absolutely the best way, and every student gets the care they deserve. 

Tutors Green is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. For more information about Tutors Green visit https://tutorsgreen.com/

If you're interested in becoming an affiliate training agency with Myelin Academia enquire here. 

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