Recovery Premium Funding is incorporated with Pupil Premium funding.

Catch Up Funding & Tuition Funding Options

In 2020, as part of their catch up funding and Education Recovery Plan, the Department for Education introduced a number of different initiatives to help schools implement and fund in-school interventions, especially tuition. Since then, these initiatives have been through several iterations. Different funding streams are available for tutoring in 2022/23 and 2023/24. 

Schools have additional funding available to help pupils catch up, and tutoring plays a key part in how the schools to spend this funding.

Why the emphasis on tuition?

Evidence indicates that the best way to make sure this tutoring is effective, targeted and aligned with classroom learning is to ensure the tuition is led by the school.

This tutoring might be in small groups or on a one to one basis, depending on the needs of the schools and pupils.

Options for catch up and tuition funding in school?

Here we break down the different routes schools have to receive subsidised tuition and other targeted Covid-19 catch up support to help school leaders best allocate their budget, staffing and interventions over the next academic year.

1. The National Tutoring Programme

The National Tutoring Programme is a government funded, sector-led initiative designed to support schools to address the impact of coronavirus on pupils’ progress and attainment.

It provides schools with additional per-pupil funding to spend specifically on tutoring across three key ‘routes’:

• DfE-approved Tuition Partners, such as Third Space Learning
• School-led tutoring: internal school staff including retired, returning or supply teachers and support staff
• Academic Mentors

What this means for Bodriggy budget in 2022/23

All state primary and secondary schools in England will receive an additional £162 per pupil eligible for Pupil Premium in Years 1-11, but schools have discretion over who to put forward for tuition and are not limited to their Pupil Premium cohort.

How this is changing in 2023/24

According to the latest information from the National Tutoring Programme, each pupil eligible for Pupil Premium will receive a minimum of £67.50 in ring-fenced funding to spend on tutoring in the next academic year. Schools are given the flexibility and choice to use this funding to support any student.

What you should know about the National Tutoring Programme

• In 2022/23, it can be used to cover up to 60% of the cost incurred to school for tuition, up to a maximum hourly per-pupil rate of £18 (rising to £47 in special schools)
• In 2023/24, schools can use their NTP funding to cover up to 50% of the costs
• Schools have the flexibility to manage their own allocation. They can pay above or below the assumed cost of £18 per hour, but NTP funding can only be used to cover costs within the guidelines.
• Schools will be required to report on total cost of tutoring, total hours of tutoring delivered, and total pupils supported at the end of the academic year.
• Any NTP funding unspent or spent incorrectly (e.g. not on tutoring or not within the guidelines) will be clawed back at the end end of the academic year.

DfE-Approved Tuition Partners

Through the Tuition Partner route of the programme, schools can use their National Tutoring Programme on an approved list of Tuition Partners. These Partners have all been through a rigorous Department for Education application process assessing their efficacy and impact as well as their tutor recruitment and training processes and safeguarding policies. 

What you should know about the NTP Tuition Partners

• Tuition Partners cover a range of different subject areas, although it is expected that most tutoring will be in English and maths.
• Partners also cover face to face and online tuition, as well as small-group and one to one.
• External tutoring organisations must apply to be an approved Tuition Partner in order to be eligible for any National Tutoring Programme funding
• Prices vary by partner and individual partners can charge above or below the assumed £18 per hour average.

School-Led Tutoring

Through the school-led tutoring route of the National Tutoring Programme, schools can use their tuition funding to cover tutoring delivered by ‘members of a school’s own personnel, either currently employed or specifically engaged for this purpose.’

This includes:

• Teaching Assistants
• Retired teachers
• Returning teachers
• Supply teachers
• Support staff
• Classroom teachers

What you should know about school-led tutoring

• Schools must ensure NTP funding is used only for tutoring, and the provision of tutoring must be in addition to any staff member’s core roles and responsibilities.
• A specific tutor training programme has been developed to ensure school-led tutoring is of the highest-quality.
• The training is free and available online
• Training is optional for any tutor with Qualified Teacher Status.

Academic Mentors

Academic mentors are ‘salaried, in-house members of staff who work alongside teachers to provide one-to-one and small group subject-specific tuition’.

What you should know about Academic Mentors

• Schools should apply to Cognition Education, one of the three NTP providers for 22/23, to be assigned an Academic Mentor.
• The minimum salary is £19,000 per year, rising to £21,000 for those with a graduates. Schools are free to set higher salaries if they wish.
• Small schools are able to ‘share’ an Academic Mentor with other schools in their trust or local authority.