14th May 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
This week it has emerged that large numbers of primary and secondary schools in the UK are hiring private tutors to come in and provide extra support to struggling students. The Department for Education supplies schools with up to £900 extra a year for each student who receives free school meals. Schools are free to spend the extra money as they see fit for the benefit of these students, and many choose to use it to fund the cost of private tuition.
Some schools have reported paying £1000-£2000 a year to tuition agencies, who send experienced tutors in to teach both individual students and classes. Tuition agencies in London have said that the demand for tuition from schools has increased dramatically over the last few years. Some send tutors to work in schools, running classes during school hours, and revision classes after school. Others also send tutors direct to students’ homes in a more traditional arrangement, the difference being that the bill is footed by the school.
Although the schools are free to spend this pupil premium as they wish, classroom unions have questioned whether this is the best use of the funds that are reserved to help students on free school meals. Several years ago, the Labour government introduced a scheme via which students who were falling behind would automatically be provided with extra help, the funds for which would not have to come out of the pupil premium. This scheme was scrapped by the coalition government, prompting concerns from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers that the pupil premiums are being spent on tutors from agencies which schools are not able to vet.
However, the demand from schools continues to rise this year, with a marked increase in the number of schools demanding tutors for help in subjects that they cannot offer themselves, such as Chinese, Latin and Archaeology. Some head teachers have commented that, in addition to offering new subjects, young and dynamic tutors can breathe life into the curriculum, having often not long been out of education themselves. Many feel that hiring tutors is a fresh approach which will continue to bring successes for the schools who employ them.