National Challenge Schools
Welcome to the National Challenge web pages for one-to-one tuition. Please click on the links below for further information on one-to-one tuition.
Why is one-to-one tuition effective for pupils?
- It engages pupils in their learning in a way which is not always possible in the classroom
- It provides highly tailored sessions, designed to meet individual needs, delivered by a qualified tutor
- It is delivered at a pace that is appropriate to the pupil
- It builds on what the pupil already knows
- It ensures misunderstandings are quickly identified and addressed at the point of misconception
- It increases pupils' understanding of what they need to improve and why they need to improve.
Who can benefit from one-to-one tuition?
One-to-one tuition is suitable for pupils:
- who have been taught a skill but have failed to secure it
- who have difficulty grasping a concept and transferring it into practice
- whose learning has been hampered by a previous misconception
- with a lack of experience
- with a limited vocabulary or who have not had much opportunity to participate in sustained talk or reading.
How is one-to-one tuition organised?
- Each place on the one-to-one programme is fully funded
- Each pupil will receive 10 hours of individual tuition
- Funding will be approximately £29 per hour (including on costs – the suggested rate for tutors is £25 per hour)
- Tutors will be paid for 12 hours to allow for 2 hours of tutor/teacher liaison
- The tuition must be delivered by a qualified teacher who is a specialist in English or mathematics
- Recruitment of tutors will be the school’s responsibility, although some assistance in finding tutors will be provided
- Tuition can take place outside of school hours (for example, before or after school, at weekends, or during school holidays) and can also be offered during the school day, but should not be at the expense of the pupil’s curriculum entitlement.
- Pupils should receive tuition in either English or mathematics, not both.
Tuition on the programme can only be carried out by a qualified tutor. This means:
- Someone with qualified teacher status
- An overseas qualified teacher eligible to teach in schools in England
- NQTs in the summer before they achieve QTS
- Those with teaching and subject specific qualifications from the HE or FE sectors
We would also recommend that tutors are a specialist in English or mathematics and have up to date knowledge of the curriculum.
All funding for this year's tuition has now been allocated. Information on funding for the next academic year will be announced in May/June 2010.
If you require any further information, please contact Linda Nutley.
Eligibility Guidance and Selection of Pupils
One-to-one tuition is for pupils in key stage 3 who:
- Entered key stage behind expected level
and/or - Not on track to make expected progress
It is recommended that one-to-one tuition should be targeted at years 7 and 8 (from September 2009) rather than as a catch up session in year 9. Pupils should only be selected for the one-to-one tuition programme if they meet the above criteria.
For National Challenge Schools there is an additional allocation for use in key stage 4.
It is important to note that one-to-one tuition is only for when other intervention methods have failed to secure good progress; it is not designed to compensate for poor quality first teaching. If a large number of pupils are identified in the same teaching group with similar development needs, other intervention programmes may be more effective.
Priority for allocation of places will be given to pupils that are:
- Looked after children
- In receipt of free school meals
- Of BME origin
- Young Carers
- Children with a disability
- Gypsy, Roma or Traveller Children
- Have Special Educational Needs
Owing to the limited funding available for the programme, pupils who fall into the above categories will be given priority when allocating one-to-one tuition places. We will also consider other cases where pupils have experienced exceptional circumstances (for example; the death of a relative, prolonged and severe illness etc.)
One-to-one tuition should not be offered to pupils who:
- have profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) and moderate learning difficulties (MLD).
- are not on National Curriculum levels.
For these pupils there are other intervention programmes that would be more appropriate.
Selection of pupils
For key stage 3, we are initially allocating a number of pupil places based on school roll and the proportion entering key stage 3 below level 4 in English and mathematics (from September 2009). Additional places and any unused allocations will then be allocated to schools in October. For key stage 4 (from September 2009), we will be allocating the full number of places available to Kent, but will review any unused places in October.
You will have been informed of your school’s allocation for key stages 3 and 4 by letter.
In order to select pupils for one-to-one tuition, it is recommended that schools start with a list of those pupils who meet the initial eligibility criteria (i.e. those who are falling behind). From this list, priority should then be given to those pupils who fall within a vulnerable group (as defined above).
This list of pupils should then be submitted to us using the online submission form.
Each school has been allocated a number of places for one-to-one tuition, and this allocation will only be exceeded in exceptional circumstances. Schools are asked to submit the details of all pupils they believe are eligible for and would benefit from one-to-one tuition. The final allocation of places on the one-to-one tuition programme will be determined by ASK.
Additional Considerations
There are a number of issues the school may wish to consider when selecting the pupils for one-to-one tuition;
| Issue | Consideration should be given to |
| Is the pupil already receiving other specialist support? | Would one-to-one tuition enhance or hinder this support? |
| Are a number of pupils identified in the same teaching group with similar development needs? | How is the school addressing the issue of a common misconception or block on learning through wave 1 teaching? Are there other group interventions that could be put in place? |
| Are a number of pupils identified in the same teaching group? | How will the school facilitate dialogue between tutors and teachers in order to ensure individual needs are met (bearing in mind liaison time is two hours per pupil)? |
| Is the school able to allocate a tutor to each pupil? | If it is not possible to match a pupil and tutor then consideration will need to be given to options other than one-to-one. Funding will not be allocated to one-to-one unless a tutor has been found for each pupil. |
| Are there pupils who do not meet the priorities above but who you feel would particularly benefit from one-to-one tuition? | There may be pupils who do not meet the selection criteria but may still benefit from one-to-one for a particular reason. In such circumstances the school would need to make a case for one-to-one based on experienced exceptional circumstances. |
1. Publications
Developing One-to-One Tuition - Guidance for Local Authorities & Schools
2. Guidance Documentation
Guidance on Recruitment of Tutors
Quality Assurance Form for Schools
DCSF Online Data Collection
We would like to remind schools that the DCSF national data collection website - which allows DCSF to monitor the uptake of tuition places in all schools - must be completed as part of the agreement in accepting funds for this intervention.
The online data collection is available at https://www.onetoonetuitiondata.dcsf.gov.uk/. Details of pupils undertaking English and maths tuition should be entered as soon as possible after they have completed their first tuition session and these will need to be updated when the course of tuition ends.
| The DCSF have produced a short video tutorial to explain the process for entering your pupil & tuition data. Activate the tutorial by clicking on the blue link above. Click the large white arrow to start and then the "click to contiue" buttons to move from one stage to the next. |
The DCSF are monitoring the data and correlating it to the LA schools’ allocations. The DCSF are very concerned that not all schools have complied with this requirement and are considering options for compulsory registration in advance of funding being released for next year.
Please note, we have been advised by the DCSF that data protection prohibits the Local Authority from submitting these details on the behalf of schools.
The site will be available throughout the year to allow you to record pupils as they start tuition on an ongoing basis. Guidance on how to record pupils receiving one-to-one tuition is on the website.
Your school's username and password are the same as those used to access the Key to Success, S2S and DCSF Data Collection sites.
If you have any specific queries on tuition in your school you should contact Linda Nutley in the first instance. If you have a technical problem, there is guidance available on the website.