Tutor Recruitment and Training at Third Space Learning
An innovative approach to closing the maths attainment gap
We founded Third Space Learning in 2013 with the goal of working in partnership with schools to help close the maths attainment gap.
To do this, we wanted to work closely with schools to help make one to one maths tuition more accessible for them, so that together we could help tutoring reach the pupils most in need – not just the fortunate few.
Since we worked with our first school in 2013, we have made great progress. We have worked with tens of thousands of teachers in over 4,000 English state primary and secondary schools, delivering one to one online tutoring to over 159,000 pupils, of whom 55% are eligible for free school meals.
- How we help schools support the pupils who need it most
- Key facts about Third Space Learning’s maths tutors
- Our commitment to our mission
- How to learn more about what we do
How we help schools support the pupils who need it most
Our impact has been founded on ensuring that tuition is directed by class teachers to reinforce their teaching strategies, whilst making tuition affordable within limited schools budgets.
A central part of the solution for this has been to recruit our maths tutors from across emerging markets, notably India and Sri Lanka, where there is a huge population of passionate, well-educated English-speaking STEM graduates and undergraduates who love maths.
All our tutors go through an extensive maths tutor training programme before they begin, and receive regular and ongoing training and CPD. We are really proud of our tutors and the work they do to support our schools, and are committed to providing them with a great place to work (voted Great Place to Work in Sri Lanka) and competitive pay (more than double the national graduate average).
You can learn more about our tutors here.
It is also important to note that the cost of delivering good one to one tuition – following best practice and research – involves a lot more than just recruiting and training excellent tutors.
When you break down the price of each Third Space Learning session, about half of it is invested in tutor pay and the local tutor teams that manage recruitment, training and daily academic and operational support for our tutors. The other half is invested in technology, curriculum and content, safeguarding and operations.
Key facts about Third Space Learning’s maths tutors
- All Third Space Learning tutors are undergraduates and graduates in STEM or other maths-related subjects
- We’re committed to supporting our tutors to do their best work, and the average tutor pay is 2.5 times the local average graduate salary and 15 times the local minimum wage
- We provide a guaranteed minimum payment per session, which is paid even if a session is cancelled or not attended. This provides financial security for our tutors (and at a rate that is still above the equivalent graduate salary)
- We recruit tutors of all ages, but the average tutor age is 24 and the minimum age to begin tutor training is 17 (the minimum age to enrol in University in Sri Lanka)
- All Third Space Learning tutors currently delivering sessions are 18 years-old or older
- Since 2013, Third Space Learning tutors have partnered with over 4,000 English state primary schools, working with tens of thousands of teachers in the process
- We have supported over 150,000 pupils, of whom 55% are eligible for Free School Meals
- All elements of our tutoring programmes, including tutor recruitment and training, have been reviewed by the Department for Education as part of the strict application process to become an approved Tuition Partner of the National Tutoring Programme – we’re proud to maintain the high standards that they set
Our commitment to our mission
We understand that recruiting and training tutors from oversees might not be the right approach for every school, but we see no reason why the nationality or location of our tutors in any way detracts from their ability to help in the ultimate goal that we all share: helping those children in English classrooms with the greatest need, and closing the attainment gap.
If we are sincere about closing the attainment gap then innovation means we must try new models that actually work for teachers in real life, and can make a difference to large numbers of children. Third Space Learning is no silver bullet, but the evidence from the 2,500+ schools we have worked with, and our role in the National Tutoring Programme, suggests Third Space Learning is welcomed by schools and is making a real difference.
A note from the National Tutoring Programme
“Third Space Learning is an example of a provider with an innovative approach and is proving popular with English schools. While our focus may be on supporting schools in England, it is right that we look outwards and harness all the expertise we can to do this. It does not – and should not – matter where an online tutor is based. What matters most is the quality of the support that they can give children and young people.”
You can read the NTP’s full statement here.
How to learn more about what we do
If you’d like to learn more, please contact Tom Hooper, CEO and Founder directly at tom@thirdspacelearning.com
Further information:
DO YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT IN MATHS?
Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of students across hundreds of schools with weekly one to one tuition designed to plug gaps and boost progress.
Since 2013 these personalised one to one lessons have helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians.
Learn how we can teach multiple pupils at once or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.
