Government to match schools’ tutoring costs next year

• Government to raise subsidy rate for the National Tutoring Programme to 50% in 2023-24
• Up to one million courses to be funded, on top of the 3.36 million already started since 2020
• New guidance published to support schools to deliver tutoring

Half of tutoring costs will be funded through the National Tutoring Programme next year, doubling the government’s previous commitment to fund a quarter of the cost.

Initiated as part of the Government’s education recovery strategy and to help schools deliver a world-class education, the National Tutoring Programme has revolutionised how targeted support is offered in schools. Over three million courses have taken place so far, with school leaders reporting on the positive impact the programme is having on pupils’ attainment and confidence. This month, the Education Policy Institute also announced average outcomes in reading have largely been recovered in primary schools. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, England has risen to fourth internationally for primary reading proficiency in the recent Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) results.

Backed by over £1 billion across four years, £150 million will be available to schools next year. Whilst schools will continue to have the flexibility to decide which pupils to offer tutoring to, children from disadvantaged backgrounds will be prioritised as well as those who are below the expected standard or grade boundary in a particular subject.

Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, said:

“Since its inception in 2020, we have continuously evolved the National Tutoring Programme to ensure it works for pupils and schools.

“Over three million courses have been started as a result and we remain committed to supporting schools to embed tutoring long term because we know the positive impact it can have on pupils.

“That’s why I am pleased that next year, we will be able to match school’s funding contributions, whilst also supporting them more widely through a £2 billion boost in school funding.”

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said:

“We want everyone in school to get a world-class education, enriching their own lives and strengthening the future workforce.

“Paying half of tutoring costs to support our young people through the National Tutoring Programme next year is clear evidence of that commitment and a down payment on long-term economic growth”.

Nick Brook, CEO for the social mobility charity at Speakers for Schools and Chair of the DfE Strategic Tutoring Advisory Group, said:

“I’m pleased that the Government has listened to school and sector leaders and has agreed to raise the NTP subsidy to 50% next year. This will be welcome news to many schools, who have seen positive results from the programme and will want to continue offering tutoring next year.” 

“We know that tutoring can have a really positive effect on pupils’ attainment and confidence, and I welcome the renewed focus on supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

The Department for Education has always been clear that the subsidy rate for the programme will be tapered each year to support schools to embed tutoring long-term, moving from 75% in 2021-22 to a planned 25% in 2023-24.Following feedback from school leaders, the Government has now agreed a subsidy rate of 50% next year, to support schools to deliver the tutoring their pupils need.

To meet their costs when providing tutoring, schools will be able to continue to use funding streams like the pupil premium, which will rise to almost £2.9 billion in in 2023-24 – its highest ever level. The additional funding is thanks to the further £2 billion pounds being invested into schools. As a result, school funding is set to rise faster than forecast inflation in both 2023/24 and 2024/25.

To support schools to deliver tutoring next year, new guidance has also been published today. This is alongside information on the amount of funding each school will receive and a calculator tool to support schools to plan tutoring for next year. The Department for Education will also continue to support schools to embed tutoring into the long term as an integral part of the department’s strategy to raise standards in primary and secondary schools. This includes the ambitious target for 90 per cent of pupils to meet the expected standard of reading, writing and maths by the time they leave primary school.  

Sector Response

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We welcome the fact that the government subsidy for the NTP is not going to be reduced next year by as much as was initially planned. As school leaders have repeatedly warned, this would likely have forced many schools to cut or entirely abandon NTP provision.

“The government claims this change will enable more schools to deliver tutoring. We hope this is true. The fact remains, though, that schools which struggled to afford 40% of the cost of tutoring this year aren’t going to find it any easier to afford 50% next year. ASCL has suggested several times that schools should be able to access their allocated NTP funding without having to top this up from their own extremely stretched budgets. It’s disappointing that the government has again chosen not to make this simple change which would, in our view, enable many more schools to access the programme, and many more pupils to benefit from it.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“School leaders have been clear that dramatically reducing the tutoring subsidy next year would have been disastrous for the programme. In a recent member poll, 59% of respondents told us that they were using the programme this year but would not be able to access it next academic year.

“It is therefore good news that the subsidy will be maintained at a higher rate than originally planned for 2023-24. We have been clear with the DfE about this, and it is positive that they have listened and responded.

“However, it is important to point out that due to the current financial pressures schools are facing, many will still find it extremely difficult to fund the remaining 50% that is required from them, particularly given that the amount of funding schools will receive overall for tutoring will not change.”

Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union said:

“The Government’s recognition that additional funding is needed for schools to continue to offer tutoring is welcome. Our members have been clear that the tapering of funding for the National Tutoring Programme will have meant that schools couldn’t continue to offer it.

‘However, funding 50% of tutoring costs does not resolve the problems. There are still many schools which will not be able to match the Government’s contribution or will have to cut existing provision in order to do so.  The additional funding announced today does not compensate for Government’s neglect of its own adviser’s recommendations for education recovery. It has provided only a third of the funding that Sir Kevan Collins said was needed, leaving schools to pick up the rest from ever diminishing budgets.

‘The Government must now recognise the difficult position in which schools have been placed. If it considers that additional provision is needed, then it must fund it appropriately”.

The Department for Education will fund 50% of the cost incurred by schools in providing tutoring, subject to the arrangements set out in our AY23/24 NTP Guidance

The latest statistics on the delivery of the National Tutoring Programmes, which cover course starts up until 19 January 2023, are available here: National Tutoring Programme, Academic year 2022/23 – Explore education statistics – GOV.UK (explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk)

The Department’s evaluation of the programme during the AY 2021/22 is available here: National Tutoring Programme year 2: implementation and process evaluation – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Education Policy Institute’s report is available here: Recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic: Analysis of Star Assessments – Education Policy Institute (epi.org.uk)

Guidance for schools for 2023-24 is available here (please note this link will go live at approximately 09:30am): www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-tutoring-programme-guidance-for-schools-academic-year-202324