The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is part of the government’s COVID-19 catch-up response for schools and is funded through the wider education recovery package. The programme aims to support teachers and schools in providing a sustained response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide a longer-term contribution to closing the attainment gap. The first year of the NTP – delivered in the academic year 2020 /21 – offered schools access to tutoring via two independent services: Tuition Partners and the Academic Mentoring Programme. This evaluation relates to the first year of NTP Academic Mentoring Programme only.
The Academic Mentoring Programme (AMP) trained academic mentors to deliver 1:1 and small group tutoring in disadvantaged schools. The DfE appointed Teach First to manage the provision of mentors to schools; recruiting, training and placing them in schools. The mentor worked in the school setting as an employee of the school. Mentoring was provided online and/or face-to-face; and was one-to-one, or in small groups (typically two-four pupils); and available in English/literacy, maths, science, humanities and modern foreign languages. Mentoring was expected to be delivered in schools during normal teaching time, as well as before or after school.
The other pillar of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) in 2020/21 was Tuition Partners. You can read about the evaluation of this programme here.