ASCL comment on NFER’s impact evaluation of the second year of the National Tutoring Programme

Commenting on the Independent NTP Year 2 Impact Evaluation, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“The introduction of the National Tutoring Programme has been far from perfect but it was born out of a bold ambition – for the most disadvantaged young people to have access to forms of tutoring that previously had only been available to parents who could afford it. This important report shows that the National Tutoring Programme has clearly had a positive impact on some young people. But it should come as no surprise that tutoring is at its most effective when it is delivered by the people who know the pupils best - teachers and leaders.

“The way forward must therefore surely be for the government to continue funding the programme, and to entirely trust schools to deliver tutoring in the way that works best for them. Otherwise, the benefits identified in this evaluation will largely be lost, with tutoring becoming the preserve of the dwindling number of schools able to afford to offer it.”