UK National Tutoring Programme: Further £218 million pledged in Covid catch-up plan

Update: Applications for the National Tutoring Programme are now OPEN!

Applications for the NTP are now officially open. If you are a tuition agency hoping to become a Tuition Partner you can apply using this link.

Please note: Applications close on August 4th

As mentioned in our previous update, the Phase 2 of the NTP will be overseen by Randstad. This NTP will now be open access, ameaning it is open to any and all tuition organizations who are capable of meeting the standards set out by the Department of Education (Linked below).

There are a couple of key changes Phase 2 of the NTP will entail:

1. Classes will be limited to small numbers of students, no more than 3 students to 1 tutor.

2. The NTP will be accessible for all state schools from Year1-Year 11.

3. Any tuition agencies who become Tutoring Partners will support students in the following subjects: English, Humanities, Languages, Primarily level support.

4. All applicants will need to meet 13 quality criteria.

5. Agencies who do not qualify, will be reviewed by Randstad and will be given clear instructions on what areas they failed to meet requirements.

6. Pricing will be reflective of your agency's current price points.

Aside from the criteria mentioned above, it has been suggested that NTP partner will need to be able to demonstrate that your tuition agency has experience working with schools. However, it is yet to be established just how strictly this criteria will be met.

The School-Led Tutoring Fund also offers an exciting opportunity for individual tutors. This part of the scheme gives students a direct grant for tuition which they can use to get lessons from existing and new staff or third-party tutors. The Tutors' Association will be offering all UK schools a free jobs board accessible to TTA members in the coming academic year.

You can learn more about the national tutoring programme here.

Update: Further details have been announced regarding the NTP and how agencies can submit their applications.

Here is a quick overview:

• For the academic year of 2021/2022 the NTP will be run through an Open Access Scheme. Tutoring agencies who want to apply will need to meet specific quality scores and assessment criteria. The fine details of how these will be assessed is yet to be finalised.

• The application window for the NTP 2021/2022 will open in July but no specific date has been set.

• Along with the initial application window, there will likely also be additional applications based on regions, subject area, etc.

• Any tuition agency who meets the specific criteria will be accepted regardless of size, meaning agencies of any size can apply.

• There will be a new platform used by NTP partners which will create a central source for information sharing, give access to a reporting dashboard, simplify collaboration, improve tutoring efficiency and more.

There has also been a specific timeline published regarding NTP applications. Key dates include:

• July: Open Access scheme will open to tuition partners.

• July: Compliance checks and contract confirmations will be carried out.

• August: Training materials will be shared with all approved partners.

• September: Year 2 of the NTP will begin.

UK Government announces £1.4 billion additional funding for Covid school catch-up expansion

If you have any further questions about the NTP you can submit them via the further questions form here (https://forms.office.com/r/qFQzxjAaHm).

Private tutoring companies in the UK will be able to apply for further government funding as part of an additional £1.4 billion pledged to Covid catch-up plans. Of the £1.4 billion, £218 million will be added to the existing National Tutoring Programme (NTP) fund which employs private tutoring businesses.

For any tutoring agencies looking to secure some funding, it is crucial that you register via the NTP website. This will ensure that you don't miss any updates and have the best chance of taking part in this amazing opportunity!

The NTP funding has been shown to expand and transform many UK based business into large, well-established and respected businesses. The new will also more private tutoring agencies to become Tuition Partners and help out with education catch-up. Furthermore, this will give businesses in the UK the ability to rapidly expand into new markets and gain new customers through collaboration with local schools and pupils.

The government pledges to provide up to 6 million 15 hour tutoring courses which will likely be largely provided by Tuition Partners within the NTP.

Alongside the expansion of the NTP, the new announcement promises 100 million hours of tutoring for students across the country. The scheme will aim to help disadvantaged students.

The new funding will also continue to aid existing students ages 16-19 with subjects such as Maths and English. This new announcement also comes with plans to allow students in Year 13 to retake this crucial school year if they wish to.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes these plans ‘give parents confidence.' Johnson went on to acknowledge the sacrifices made by young people and insisted that ‘We must make sure no child is left behind.'

The specifics of the scheme are still under discussion but there are some specific details that have been announced:

• A total of £1 billion will be pledged to tutoring, which will see up to 100 million hours of tutoring.
• £400 million will go towards providing training to easily year practitioners and school teachers to help their pupils progress.
• The new scheme will include pupils ages between 2 and 19.

Some criticism of the new funding plan

The new funding announcement comes following the Labour government's plans to pledge almost £15 billion to educational catch-up if elected. This has led to heavy criticism from Education Unions who worry that the funding will not be sufficient. Some have predicted this back lash may lead to further funding in the coming months.

When challenged about the funding, education secretary Gavin Williamson stated: ‘We recognised that we wanted to take action immediately to help children now and today.'

Williamson explained that this £1.4 billion would be added to the already existing £1.7 billion announced to help children.

Many also expected the new announcement to include a shortening of the summer holidays and school lunchtimes. However, this idea has been proven to be unpopular with UK parents.

Expanding the National Tutoring Program

It is important that all tutoring agencies who want to apply for funding keep an eye on the National Tutoring Programme's website. This is because no specific criteria have been published about who will be able to apply.

Becoming a Tuition Partner will allow your business to:

• Obtain large amounts of government funding: All tuition fees will be 75% subsidized by the government's catch-up plan.
• Expand and grow within your local area: The NTP will allow your business to offer tuition to local schools and students. In the long term, this will allow you to create a loyal customer base.
• Become a well established and trusted business: Details about all NTP Tuition Partners are accessible via the government website. This will show that your business is a trusted and high-quality option for tutors.

If you are interested in receiving funding it is important that you register on the National Tutoring Programme website.

Furthermore, you can learn more about the programme and what future expansions might include here.