What is the Attainment Gap?
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an “independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement”. In January 2018, the EEF published a report entitled “The Attainment Gap” summarising its key findings relating to academic attainment and economic disadvantage. Their studies showed that the “attainment gap is largest for children and young people eligible for free school meals (the best available measure of economic disadvantage) and those assessed with special educational needs”. They reported that the gap is already evident when children begin school aged 5 and it grows wider throughout the different stages of education.
It is no surprise to learn that “the better a young person’s academic qualifications at school, the greater the likelihood of securing a well-paid job.”
The EEF considers both one-to-one tuition as well as small-group tuition to be effective strategies “for providing targeted support for pupils that are identified as having low prior attainment”.
In their studies, “One to one Tuition” and “Small Group Tuition” the EEF conclude that studies in England have shown that pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals typically receive additional benefits from one to one tuition as well as small group tuition.
Small Group Classes
To lower the cost of tutoring, we run small group classes so that the money is spread amongst a group rather than an individual.
To support children who have an economic disadvantage, we work with schools and volunteer tutors to run free online creative writing courses as after-school clubs, which children can access from their home. Please contact us if you are interested in your child joining a course or if you are a school wanting to promote these courses to your students on benefits-related Free School Meals.
1:1 Tutoring
As part of our Tutor Referral Agency in which we introduce clients to tutors, when clients complete the introductory registration form, we ask whether the child is eligible for benefits-related free-school meals. If they are, this information is passed to our tutors, who may choose to offer discounted lessons.
The Access Project
We support the work of “The Access Project”. The Access Project supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access top universities, through a unique combination of tuition and in-school mentoring. We promote the work they do with our tutors and show tutors how they can become volunteer tutors.
Action Tutoring
We support the work of Action Tutoring. Action Tutoring is a charity that supports disadvantaged young people to achieve academically, with a view to enabling them to progress in education, employment or training. They do this by partnering high-quality volunteer tutors with pupils to increase their subject knowledge, confidence and study skills. We promote the work they do with our tutors and show tutors how they can become volunteer tutors.
Campaigns
End Child Food Poverty: Feed the Future:
Support the call from Marcus Rashford for the Government to improve the diets and food access of children in low income families.
Bite Back 2030:
Support the call to extend free school meals to all children in need.
No Child Left Behind:
Support the call to extend free school meals to all children in primary school.
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