Several schools in Derby have highlighted the positive difference they have been able to make to pupils’ achievements with national funding designed to help students catch-up on learning lost due to Covid.
Their comments come after news reports that millions of pounds of the Government’s National Tutoring Programme (NTP) funding had not been spent. It also revealed Derby’s participation in the programme was slightly below average.
Nationally around 66% of schools have participated in the scheme, which sees Government putting money towards the cost of tutoring packages. In Derby that figure is 62.6%, with Derbyshire slightly higher at the average of 66.7%.
Schools in the county who have participated in the programme said it had been hugely beneficial to students.
At Lees Brook Academy in Chaddesden, students from Years 7 right through to 11 have been helped by the funding.
“We have accessed all our funding and used it on dedicated tutors who come in to work with students in small groups of three,” said Steve Geary, Assistant Principal of Achievement at Lees Brook.
“Originally this was in subjects like Maths, English and Science but it has also been widened out to other subjects such as History and French.
“We have seen it make a huge difference to students’ confidence in their abilities. Last year we also saw that more than 90% of students who had received the tutoring improve on their mock exam results in their final exams.
“The tutors are really enjoying delivering the sessions, which were originally in school time, and the students have also enjoyed being taught in such small groups. Now, tutoring sometimes takes place before school in the morning or in after school sessions, whichever works best for the individual group.”
In March last year, the Department for Education (DfE) announced plans for the academic year 22-23 which involved providing £349million of core tutoring funding directly to schools.
The funding is paid in termly instalments and is intended to cover 60% of the cost of tuition with schools making up the remainder of the cost.
The three main ways to spend the funding are on academic mentors who are full-time staff already at the school employed to provide intensive support to pupils who need it; tuition partners who are recruited by external organisations; and finally, school-led tutoring which sees the school’s own staff delivering the additional sessions.
Allestree Woodlands School has accessed the funding and spent nearly every penny of the £60,000 they were allocated – contributing a further 15% on top themselves – with a dedicated tutoring programme at both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.
Leanne Berridge, Assistant Head for KS4 progress an achievement said: “It has been highly beneficial at increasing student grade predictions between KS4 data collection points.”
Allestree Woodlands has used the money in a variety of ways, both with sessions in school, after school every day and in the Easter holidays. It has been used mainly for maths but has also involved some English as well and has seen group and one-to-one sessions take place.
At The Long Eaton School, catch up funding has been used to pay for additional tuition in English and Maths. The school is also looking at using the funding to deliver summer term sessions for years 10 and 12, in readiness for their moves to the next key stages in September.
The Bemrose School has, and continues, to use its funding to hold schooling at the weekend.
The Uttoxeter Road school has been holding Saturday sessions to support those pupils who struggled with virtual learning during covid, with lessons taught to groups of no more than three.
This was hailed a huge success by executive headteacher Neil Wilkinson. He said: “We are still using the NTP funding and intend to use further funds for more weekend schooling, which has worked well for us previously.”
Murray Park Community School, meanwhile, used their funding to host almost 200 children from 34 different primary schools last summer.
The Mickleover school held a ‘summer school’ for the youngsters who joined them in September 2022, and were supported by a group of 20 year 11 pupils in running academic sessions in all the core subjects, as well as fun activities such as an inflatable assault course and team-building sessions with Derby County Community Trust, a professional DJ and Cycle Derby.
In the county, Netherthorpe School – in Staveley – have also found the catch-up funding useful.
Helen McVicar is headteacher at the Netherthorpe School in Staveley. The school – in one of the most deprived areas of Derbyshire – is part of the Cavendish Learning Trust of schools that also includes primary schools Barrow Hill, Whittington Moor Infant & Nursery School and Dunston Academy.
She said: “We do use catch up finding to support students close any gaps in their knowledge in English and Maths at KS3/4 through Intervention tutors and smaller group interventions.
“Post 16 we use the funding to provide access to online tuition in specific subjects for those students requiring additional support. It’s been really useful to us as a school.”
