"Pupils could progress through the curriculum without placing pressure on parents."

We have used Third Space Learning as a Year 6 SATs intervention since we started three years ago.

Our goal hasn’t really changed in that time. When we finished SATs last May, we already had this year’s Year 6s ready to go. We started with the new group in May last year, and changed the children round at Christmas to keep engagement high. These are children who need the support, so I think I want to make sure they have the basics secured before they move on. 

We can see their progress from the lessons and reports but it is also noticed in class.

We were in the middle of our SATs preparations when school closed due to lockdown.

We were having discussions on how to structure home learning. Do we continue with the syllabus, or do we focus on catch up material for content already covered? As SATs weren’t happening, we decided to change our approach. We took our Year 6s off and moved it to our lower years. I offered it up to parents and I could have doubled our spaces based on the response from that. We had 20 pupils take part rather than the 10 we usually have.

How have you found the transition to sessions online?

I quickly emailed out and got replies saying the kids loved it and there were no problems. I get emails on their progress and I also log on and have a look at the reports straight after the session. I can make sure they’re actually using it and get a good idea of what’s gone on.

I wouldn’t have any problems doing it from home again in the event of future school closures.

Even whilst away from school, the pupils have been learning new content with their tutors

Our focus for the pupils during lockdown has been consolidation. We have been uploading work for the children throughout, but you can’t teach new topics as that would be unfair on the parents. But with Third Space Learning, we can actually have them learn new concepts. They have the tutor there to help them; it’s not reliant on the parents. It’s fine for them to have new learning because they’re being taught one to one.

I bumped into a student’s father and I asked how his daughter’s session was. She said it was really good and Dad said she’d come away ‘buzzing’. He said, ‘she has very low confidence. She has the same tutor and her Dad said he could see that they got on really well. The fact that we’ve been able to use it so easily has been a relief. It’s been good that you’ve been so flexible. Having been able to use it at home, I’m reassured that we’ll be able to use it even throughout the uncertainty.’

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