Clare Sealy, Headteacher
St Matthias School
We were looking for a more cost effective solution to offer maths support to a broader range of pupils.
We previously had brought someone into the school to work one-to-one with the pupils which worked well but in-person is very expensive. Third Space Learning’s online one-to-one intervention is just as effective but so much cheaper, this means we can afford to have more children receiving the support they need.
Our pupils really enjoy their online sessions, and outcomes are just as effective.
Observing a Third Space Learning session, the reaction of the children is great! When working with a face-to-face tutor in the past, the pupils enjoyed themselves, but didn’t love it. With Third Space Learning they are so enthusiastic and think it’s the best thing ever!
What’s not to like? The intervention is cheaper, pupil attainment is just as good, and they really enjoy the sessions.
It’s really great to watch a session, there’s a real buzz!
The personalised approach to each pupil’s needs takes pressure off of our teachers and hugely reduces their workload.
Third Space Learning’s intervention offers two options for the teacher. The first is more hands-on where the teacher decides what each pupil will learn each week. The second option offers a lighter workload for the teacher where they choose a focus for each pupil at the start of the programme. The tutors are well trained and the programme’s algorithms allow each child’s progression to be worked out without the need for the teacher to be involved. This massively cuts down on teacher workload!
We have found this second route to be really effective, the work is pitched at the right level for the child, even though the teacher isn’t directly involved. All you need is a room, some computers and a Teaching Assistant to supervise. It’s not at all intensive in terms of resources, making it very easy for us!
Pupils build rapport with their tutor, it’s a great environment to learn in.
When observing a session, it’s so interesting to see all of the pupils having their own individual conversations with their tutor. They spend a lot of time speaking to their tutor about the maths, explaining their reasoning and verbalising what they are doing – lots more than they would ever get to do in a whole class environment! There is a real buzz in the room which is great to watch.
Individualised support is essential and Third Space Learning offers a cheap and effective solution.
Children that are behind in their maths learning need more individualised support. The best way to offer that is to use a teacher who can see where exactly the child is struggling and hone in on the specific support they need – but that’s expensive! It’s not feasible to spend lots of money on face-to-face tutors, but Third Space Learning’s intervention is just as good, if not better, because the children prefer it, but it’s also cheaper! You can get more children receiving support, they’ll enjoy it more, and it’s just as effective.
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Maths is a focus area for the school, in particular the progress levels for Pupil Premium. This academic year we were down by […]
Read full case studyRob Davies, Deputy Headteacher, Kent
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