Action Tutoring is a national education charity, and is delighted to announce its first face-to-face tutoring programme in Coventry.
This academic year they’re partnering with Whitmore Park Primary School to provide disadvantaged pupils with support in maths and English.
Why volunteer in schools?
Approximately 31 per cent of Coventry children live in low-income families (after housing costs).
Children from low-income families are statistically less likely to achieve a passing grade in their maths and English GCSEs.
They’re also less likely to achieve ‘expected standards’ at the end of primary school, which makes keeping up with the rest of the class in secondary school more challenging.
What difference can volunteers make?
Disadvantaged pupils supported by Action Tutoring’s volunteers consistently outperform the national percentage of this group achieving expected standards in their SATs exams.
In 2021 to 22, pupils supported by Action Tutoring were eight percentage points more likely to achieve expected standards in maths and eight percentage points more in English.
The deputy headteacher of London primary school, said: “Our children have gained so much confidence and enjoyment of maths thanks to Action Tutoring.
“Children talk so positively about their sessions and we have had very positive feedback from parents.
“We can see the children making progress in their sessions and the impact it has on their work in the classroom.”
How do the volunteer programmes work?
Volunteer tutors support between one and three pupils for one hour a week. The sessions take place before, during or after school.
Action Tutoring provides tutor workbooks, which contain everything you need to plan and tutor each session. For in-school programmes like Whitmore Park, a staff member (Programme Coordinator) will be there to oversee the session and provide any support needed.
What kind of volunteer community would I be joining?
Action Tutoring’s volunteers range in age from 18 to 82, and are a mix of university students, retired professionals, working professionals and many others.
As well as having access to tutor workbooks, you’d have access to ongoing training sessions, called ‘Bright Ideas’.
Elaine Mitchell, retired volunteer from Wolverhampton, said: “Since starting my volunteering, I have learnt that you are never too old to learn new skills.”I now have greater confidence with technology and a greater understanding of how to communicate with children and young people in an academic environment.”
How can I sign up to volunteer in Coventry, or elsewhere?
You can sign up on Action Tutoring’s website. If accepted, you’ll be invited to sign up to an online training session and a check will be processed for you.
If you’re interested in tutoring online instead of in-person, we have many online opportunities with schools in London, Bristol, Sussex, Birmingham, Nottingham, Merseyside and Cheshire, Sheffield, Newcastle and County Durham.
Work in a school?
If you think pupils at your school could benefit from tutoring support, you can get in touch via their school enquiry form.
Your school can sign up to multiple programmes to support different age groups or successive programmes to support the same pupils over the whole year.
