By Martin Leslie
Like other schools, Hall Mead School in Havering saw their
attainment begin to fall following the Covid-19 pandemic. Since
then, they’ve been using small group tutoring through the
National Tutoring Programme (NTP), and it’s proven to be
effective in boosting pupils’ preparedness for exams.
We asked assistant headteacher, Martin Leslie, how he, and other
staff at Hall Mead, used tutoring to help pupils prepare for
their GCSE exams.
Why did you use tutoring to support exam
preparation?
We had some pupils who were looking like they wouldn’t achieve 4s
in their GCSEs and so we were committed to ensure that they did
achieve at least this standard pass mark.
We had seen clear evidence of the impact tutoring had on pupils
in our school previously, so were keen to use tutoring to support
and enhance exam preparation.
How did you tailor tutoring to meet pupil needs?
Our NTP tuition partner, MyTutor, helped
significantly in allowing us to meet individual pupil needs.
Setting up pupils on their online system was really
straightforward, allowing leaders to see how pupils were
progressing in real-time. It was easy to extrapolate content
lists and topics pupils needed to learn about. MyTutor then used
this information to inform the content and delivery of each
session. This has simplified our interactions and reduced
administrative burden for our staff.
The tutors, who have all been excellent to work with,
communicated with us regularly to discuss how the content of
sessions might need to be adapted to meet individual needs.
What was the impact of the sessions?
We monitored progress on a weekly basis, as well as looking at
our exam results, which showed improvements for pupils who
received tutoring.
We also observed increased confidence and motivation, as well as
hearing positive feedback anecdotally from pupils around school.
This included some of our disadvantaged pupils being excited
about their sessions and openly telling their friends they’ve
‘got tuition after school’.
GCSE success for Jack
Jack, a pupil predicted 2s and 3s in his GCSEs, made a remarkable
transformation through NTP. He keenly participated in English and
maths sessions after school, on Saturdays and in the holidays,
attending all sessions without fail.
By doing so, he was able to leave school with 4s across the
board, improving by 2 grades in some subjects. This enabled Jack
to secure his dream apprenticeship in London, with a fantastic
salary, aged just 16.
Without tutoring, Jack may have fallen short of his potential.
Whilst we have many success stories, his journey stands out as
one I take immense pride in.
Jack shares his experience below:
“I was able to receive online tuition because of NTP funding.
I received tutoring in both English and maths and this definitely
helped me close the gap in my knowledge. I was predicted a 3 in
both subjects but left with a 4. This helped me secure my
apprenticeship and I am grateful to my school for providing this
opportunity to ensure I was well prepared for GCSE
