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For Schools• 3 Min read

19th May 2023

How to get a School-Led Tutoring Grant

As part of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), a school-led tutoring grant was designed to help schools and disadvantaged children have access to the education they need. But how exactly does it work? And do you need to apply to get yours?

What is a school-led tutoring grant?

A school-led tutoring grant is one of the three National Tutoring Programmes (NTP) designed by the government. It’s available to all academies and state-funded schools in England. This grant is designed to close the educational gap between disadvantaged and vulnerable students. During the 2021/22 academic year, its main purpose was to close the gap between education lost during the pandemic. Now, the focus shifts back to closing the gap between students that may not be as privileged as others.

This tutoring programme sees the government paying 60% of the costs to designated tutors and schools are required to pay the other 40%. Schools can then choose between using internal teaching staff, sourcing local tutors or giving students access to online tutoring. This bridges the gap between privileged and disadvantaged students, by offering expert tutoring for free.

 

How are school-led tutoring grants calculated?

For the 2022 to 2023 academic year, funding allocations are calculated based on the number of pupil-premium eligible pupils each school has, this is based on the number of disadvantaged pupils. Mainstream schools receive a minimum of £162 per PP pupil and non-mainstream schools receive a minimum of £423. This funding can then be used to pay 60% of the total cost incurred by your school to deliver tutoring. 

This is calculated as follows:

  • 15 hours of tutoring per PP pupil
  • Based on the assumption that tutoring costs £18 per hour, the 60% grant covers £10.80 per hour

 

Which schools are eligible for the school-led tutoring grant?

All state-funded primary, middle and secondary schools, and academies in England with pupils in years 1 to 11 who are eligible for the pupil premium (PP) will receive an NTP grant. The following schools are eligible for pupil premium:

  • Local authority-maintained schools including: infant, primary, middle, junior, and secondary
  • Special education schools
  • Academies

Schools are under no obligation to use their school-led tutoring grant but the money will be recovered at the end of the academic year – meaning you use it or lose it. 

What pupils are eligible for the school-led tutoring grant?

The government leaves it up to individual schools to decide which pupils should receive school-led tutoring. However, they suggest that pupil premium pupils should be prioritised, these groups are eligible for pupil premium:

  • Pupils who are as eligible for free school meals, or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years
  • Children looked after by local authorities
  • Children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care

 

Do schools need to apply to receive the school-led tutoring grant? 

Schools don’t need to apply to receive the school-led tutoring grant, it’s simply given to all state-funded schools and academies with students in years 1 to 11 who are eligible to receive pupil premium funding. The payments come from the Education and Skills Funding Agency and will be made automatically. Schools can then organise tutoring for students as they see fit. 

 

What can the grant be spent on? 

The school-led tutoring grant can only be spent on tutoring. This means that it cannot be spent on other areas such as laptops, room hire, equipment, transport or stationary. It’s purely there to cover the costs of tutoring whether it’s internal teacher time or an external tutor. 

 

Do schools need to return data on the grant

Whilst this may incur extra administrative tasks for the school, the government requires schools to report on and account for the funding. This is to help measure the impact of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP). 

There are two mandatory data collections that schools must complete during the academic year:

School census

During the census return, schools must identify pupils who’ve received school-led tutoring, as well as the total number of hours of tuition delivered to each pupil.

Year-end statement

The year-end statement asks schools to submit the following information:

  • The total amount spent on tutoring
  • The total number of pupils supported
  • The total number of hours of tuition delivered

Why choose Engage Education for school-led tutoring?

Many schools simply don’t have the staff or capacity to provide extra tutoring for students outside school hours. At Engage Education, we are National Tutoring Programme approved tuition partners, meaning that we are a quality assured Tuition Partner. Schools that wish to use NTP funding must only use quality-assured tuition partners, making Engage the perfect solution. 

Our tutors are subject to stringent background and qualification checks, making them talented professionals that care about the success of your students. At Engage, we work closely with schools to ensure we match the right tutors to the right students, supporting you every step of the way. 

The school-led tutoring grant is a fantastic way to bridge the gap between disadvantaged students and those with more privileges, giving everyone an equal opportunity to succeed. At Engage Education, we can support schools with NTP-approved tutors. Want to find out more? Book a consultation with us today to discuss your tutoring needs.

 

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