The National Tutoring Programme

The NTP is intended to help close the education gap, which widened as a result of COVID-19. The DFE recognise that disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils faced more barriers during school disruptions including problems in accessing digital devices and difficulties in studying autonomously at home.

Analysis from the Government’s research into pupil progress in the autumn term 2020/21 shows that:

• pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds (eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years) were about half a month further behind than non-disadvantaged pupils in primary and secondary reading and around a month further behind in primary mathematics on their return to school in autumn 2020.
• pupils made progress to catch up during the autumn term, but disadvantaged pupils remained around half a month further behind their peers in reading and around a month further behind in maths in the second half of the autumn term.

The second year of the NTP builds on the first phase which was introduced in November 2020 to provide tuition to school pupils across England in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NTP has been expanded for the second year of the programme, offering schools three routes to tutoring: Tuition Partners, Academic Mentors and School-Led Tutoring.

Together, these three tutoring routes provide schools with the choice and flexibility to access a range of tutoring provision that meets the diverse needs of their pupils in Year 1 to 11.

At Kincraig Primary School we have opted to follow the school-led tutoring programme, offering additional tutoring support to those children who have been identified as needing additional support.