Ryde Academy is leading the way when it comes to keeping students learning and developing throughout the COVID-lockdown.
Each week, more than 40 Year 10 students have been benefiting from personalised 1:1 tuition in their core subjects alongside wider support and work provided by the academy.
The Government has recognised the impact that tutoring can have on helping students catch up, and, according to research by the Education Endowment Fund, 1-to-1 tuition can help students make an additional 5 months of progress. The Department for Education is allocating £1 billion of additional funding to support catch-up programmes, with the majority of this expected to be spent on tutoring, allowing students to make up for lost time in the classroom.
However, in a decision that put it ahead of the curve on the government’s strategy, Ryde Academy had already introduced a tutoring programme in 2019 Working with leading online tutoring organisation MyTutor, Year 10 students have continued with their tutoring throughout lockdown, helping to tackle learning gaps and keep them on track with the curriculum.
Joy Ballard, Headteacher at Ryde Academy, has said:
“We’ve run tutoring programmes now for the last few years and have seen a huge impact. When done in partnership with schools it is a very effective way of topping up students’ knowledge, helping address any gaps they might have, and keeping them engaged. It’s been a real lifeline for many of our students throughout lockdown as it gives them some regular 1:1 contact with someone who really knows and loves their subject and who is rooting for them to do well.
“It’s great news that the Government is investing in tutoring across the country – we’re big fans and will be continuing to support our students in this way in the year to come.”
James Grant, Co-Founder of MyTutor, said:
“Tutoring has long been recognised as a powerful way to supplement in-class work and tackle students’ specific learning gaps; especially when done well and in close collaboration with school staff. But the Covid-19 pandemic – and the challenges of lockdown – have brought fresh urgency to the need to introduce tutoring for students alongside their mainstream studies, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are disproportionately affected by school closures.
“Our impact studies have shown that students who have been tutored by MyTutor see twice as much progress in their results, as those who haven’t been tutored. Clearly, now more than ever, we all need to be doing everything we can to ensure students can make up this lost time. Tutoring has a role to play in that, and we look forward to continuing to work with schools like Ryde Academy so that children don’t get left behind.”
