- New survey data suggests most senior school leaders believe
the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is allowing them to better
support disadvantaged pupils, but many feel the programme is not
cost-effective
NFER has today published a report, Tutoring sustainability:
Understanding the views of school leaders, after gathering
the views of a nationally representative sample of senior leaders
from primary and secondary schools in England. This included
those who are currently participating in the NTP, have previously
participated in the NTP, and have never participated in the NTP.
The survey took place between 10 and 15 March 2023.
The results found nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of the 52 per
cent of senior leaders currently using the programme are planning
to continue using it in the 2023/24 academic year. Three quarters
(76 per cent) currently using the NTP believe it is improving the
attainment of their disadvantaged pupils, while 73 per cent
believe the programme selection guidance allows them to
prioritise pupils most in need of academic support.
However, views on the cost-effectiveness of the programme are
split (42 per cent believe it is cost-effective and 45 per cent
do not) while 58 per cent of surveyed leaders do not think
tutoring is a long-term solution to closing the attainment gap
for disadvantaged pupils.
The top five reasons given by senior leaders for dropping out of
the NTP were:
- Reduced subsidy (55 per cent)
- Annual funding arrangements for the NTP made it difficult to
forward plan (35 per cent)
- Difficulties sourcing suitable tutors (28 per cent)
- Administrative burden required to access the funding was too
high (27 per cent)
- Reporting requirements for the funding were too burdensome
(23 per cent)
Dr Ben Styles, NFER’s Head of Classroom Practice and Workforce,
said:
“School leaders mostly believe the NTP is helping disadvantaged
pupils, but many feel this support comes at too high a cost in
terms of finances and administration.
“Tutoring is not yet embedded in schools. Long-term financial
support is needed alongside reductions to the administrative
burden on staff.
“Leaders would also benefit from much more notice on changes to
funding arrangements, so they can forward plan and budget
properly.
“Overcoming these barriers is vital if tutoring is to win the
hearts and minds of schools and be seen as a sustainable way of
helping to close the attainment disadvantage gap.”
The study also found:
- Almost all (91 per cent) senior leaders currently using the
NTP feel it has allowed them to offer support to more
disadvantaged pupils and more than two thirds (68 per cent) have
been able to hire or use additional staff. But nearly half (47
per cent) reported that their school only offers tutoring during
normal lesson times.
- Issues with NTP funding arrangements are the main reason
schools are stopping delivery of the programme, but only 46 per
cent of senior leaders agree that providing tutoring would be
their top priority if more funding was available for supporting
disadvantaged pupils.
- The ability to source suitable tutors, administrative burden
and time required to implement the NTP are barriers to
sustainability as they are reducing take-up and/or causing
drop-out from the programme.
- More than half of all senior leaders surveyed (61 per cent)
believe that other types of support are more effective than
tutoring for improving attainment amongst disadvantaged pupils,
including 42 per cent of senior leaders planning to continue
using the NTP next year.
Among numerous recommendations, the report calls on the
Government to:
- Explore how additional financial support can be made
available to schools over a longer period, to allow tutoring to
become embedded in schools.
- Provide schools with more notice about funding arrangements
for new programmes to allow them to forward plan.
- Review and reduce the administrative requirements to access,
implement and report upon NTP funding and that of other future
programmes.
- Work with schools and tutoring organisations to understand
their requirements for tutors and consider how best to recruit
and retain tutors as part of a wider school workforce strategy.
- Undertake further research to investigate which aspects of
tutoring and its implementation can be optimised to improve
attainment outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, so that best
practice can be shared among schools.
