Learning in small groups, short bursts of tuition and providing extra support for disadvantaged children: these are three strategies one headteacher is using to help her pupils catch up and close the attainment gap. Ann-Marie McGough was in the eye of the storm when she became acting headteacher of St Patrick鈥檚 Catholic Primary School in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in March 2020. But thanks to a close-knit team and an additional tutor who was employed under the National Tutoring Programme, Mrs McGough is seeing impressive results. The Department for Education currently funds 60% of the cost of tutoring to schools and it鈥檚 provided a real boost to pupils鈥� attainment, confidence and mental health. 鈥淭his has been a very successful journey for us in terms of children鈥檚 reading, fluency, speed and outcomes,鈥� says Mrs McGough. 鈥淥ur tutor is an ex-pupil who鈥檚 now a qualified teacher. She鈥檚 employed full time and we have a structured timetable where she takes out any child with gaps in their learning and works one-to-one or in very small groups with them.鈥� A recent report published by the Sutton Trust revealed that the National Tutoring Programme has been key in terms of levelling the playing field for access to tutoring overall. So, like all teachers, Mrs McGough is keen to make sure tutoring is targeted at pupils who need it most and is delivered in a way that鈥檚 tailored to their needs. 鈥淲e have 52% disadvantaged children at our school and we prioritise the pupil premium children from years one to six. It鈥檚 paying off because we had our best key stage 2 results in a long time in July 2022 and a lot of that is down to the tutoring programme,鈥� says Mrs McGough. There鈥檚 real synergy between teachers and the tutor, with progress being monitored closely, which Mrs McGough says is the key to making the most of the National Tutoring Programme. Reading was identified as a priority for pupils at this stage, with the tutor building on a wide range of skills. 鈥淩eading comes into every lesson, so a child who feels their peers are better than them will feel the effects on their confidence. For year one, our tutor is focusing on the sounds they鈥檙e not secure with and for year two it will be comprehension,鈥� says Mrs McGough. 鈥淪he has regular talks with their class teachers to make sure the learning is tailored for each child. If something鈥檚 not working, we ask why. Perhaps we need to change the time of day or the structure of the session. We鈥檙e looking for ways to accelerate their progress because these children have gaps and we need to narrow them. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing some excellent results, including some children who鈥檝e made reading age progress of 18 months in one term. I don鈥檛 think they鈥檇 have done that without the tuition. Children feel happier and more confident, thriving in those one-to-one sessions that really give them that boost.鈥� Find out more about tutoring here:
26 April 2023 It really pleases me to read this – this is something that鈥檚 been known for a long time. To see it being put into action with evidence of positive results is welcoming.