Sutton Trust responds to announcement on simplifying the National Tutoring Programme

Commenting on changes to the National Tutoring Programme announced today, James Turner, Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, said:

“Today’s announcement provides an important opportunity to re-boot the NTP to ensure it delivers on its moral imperative. The welcome flexibility being given to schools must not come at the expense of quality or in reaching the most disadvantaged students who need support the most. 

“The evidence is clear that tutoring can make a huge difference to pupils.  It would be a tragedy if private tuition once again became the preserve of the better-off.  The refocussed NTP must have clear targets around reaching low income students and underserved parts of the country, as well as a workable mechanism for ensuring high quality provision is supported. All tutoring is not the same, and to have maximum impact on the attainment gap we need the NTP to focus on evidence-based approaches which are ultimately most likely to benefit children.

The Department should urgently publish data on the numbers of pupil premium students who have benefited from year two of the NTP so that we can see where the gaps are and what more needs to be done.”