The Education Policy Institute found disadvantaged pupils to be more than 18 months behind more affluent peers by age 16. This was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Education setbacks over the past two years have only served to widen the gap.
However, changes in education brought on by the pandemic have also given us a powerful tool to remedy the situation: widespread online tutoring. Research from the UK and abroad shows that online tutoring effectively helps disadvantaged students catch up with their peers. In 2020, the National Centre for Social Research looked at 1,425 students from disadvantaged backgrounds at 65 UK schools, finding that online tutoring had ‘high reach’ to help students improve. Online tutoring was also very popular: 87% of students said they’d like to continue.
Similar positive results were found in Australia. Of students participating in a 20-week online tutoring programme, 72% made higher than expected progress in literacy and 59% had attained literacy levels equivalent to, or stronger than, their year-level peers. At the end of the program, 60% of students had also improved their numeracy to at least the level of progress expected, with just under half (46%) making higher than expected progress.
These benefits do not mean online tutoring is free from challenges. These include a lack of enthusiasm from students for more online learning after the pandemic, difficulties accessing technology, the lack of a quiet space, lack of parental support and SEND or English as an Additional Language (EAL) requirements that need specialist support.
At Seven Springs Education, we believe in the potential of online education to help students fulfil their academic potential, but recognise that many UK students and schools currently face significant barriers to accessing affordable, high-quality online education. Through our partnership with the National Tutoring Programme, we aim to make high-quality online tutoring more accessible to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We have also taken the following steps to overcome many barriers to online education.
Holding interactive and engaging online lessons.
To promote participation and enjoyment during online classes, it is crucial that tutors use interactive and engaging educational materials and activities. At Seven Springs Education, we provide our online tutors with a variety of interactive games and activities to use in classes. Our online whiteboard feature also allows students and tutors to work collaboratively online and create dynamic lesson materials.
Creating online learning platforms and programmes which can be accessed by students on a range of devices.
Our online learning platform, Spring, is designed to be used on a variety of devices, including laptops and tablets. Students can also attend online lessons using laptops, tablets and smartphones. The versatility of our online learning and teaching platforms ensures that students who do not have access to a home or school computer can still participate in tuition via personal devices. Giving students access to online activities and revision materials also enables them to engage in asynchronous learning and develop their unique interests.
Having frequent, productive communication between teachers and online education providers.
At Seven Springs Education, we strive to provide clear and up-to-date information to schools and teachers about students’ attainment. Detailed reports are written by tutors after every online tutoring session to ensure that teachers are kept informed about students’ catch-up progress. Our online teachers’ portal also allows teachers to track students’ progress in real time and view all assessment outcomes.
Providing training and support for online tutors on how to support students with SEND or EAL requirements.
The training our experienced tutors receive is crucial for ensuring that all students get the most out of their online education. With over a decade’s experience teaching students with EAL needs, we know the importance of giving tutors the resources to support their students. At Seven Springs Education, we provide all tutors with detailed training materials about helping students with SEND and EAL requirements fulfil their learning potential; we also encourage them to subscribe to publications which provide advice to educators on these topics.
Increasing communication between educators and parents/guardians to support online learning.
At Seven Springs Education, we have created a detailed guide for parents/guardians on how they can help a child excel in online classes. The guidance provided includes how to help students with technical problems, how to encourage students in their learning and who to contact if they have a query or concern. Our Spring platform also gives parents/guardians access to lesson feedback, reports and assessment scores.