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The National Tutoring Programme

Make your tuition funding go further with DfE-approved maths tuition from Third Space Learning

What is the National Tutoring Programme?

Additional per-pupil tuition funding for all state-funded schools in England

A minimum of £67.50 per pupil eligible for Pupil Premium in 23/24, but can be used for any pupil

Can be used to cover up to 50% of the cost of tuition in 23/24, up to a maximum of £18 per pupil per hour

External tutoring organisations must be quality-assured by the Department for Education

What else do schools need to know?

Third Space Learning is the most affordable DfE-approved one to one tutoring provider

Unspent tuition funding will be clawed back at the end of the academic year

Schools must report on total cost, number of pupils supported and hours delivered

Thousands of schools have chosen Third Space Learning to deliver online one to one maths tuition through the NTP

Third Space Learning is just as effective as bringing in a one-to-one tutor but it’s so much cheaper, so you can afford to have more children doing it. Plus, the children love it and they’re so enthusiastic about it! What’s not to like? It’s cheaper, the children do just as well and they really like it!

Headteacher, St. Matthias Primary School, London
Clare Sealy

Headteacher, St. Matthias Primary School, London

A more cost-effective use of tuition funding

All Third Space Learning tuition is delivered online via our global specialist maths tutor community, meaning your pupils can receive personalised one to one tutoring for the price many other providers charge for group sessions.

As well as the high-quality tutoring you also receive full access to our extensive library of KS1 and KS2 maths resources and CPD, helping you raise maths attainment across the school, not just those those students receiving the tuition.

Specialist maths tutoring trusted by 4,000+ schools since 2013

Personalised

Personalised

Adaptive diagnostic assessments ensure lessons plug each pupil's individual gaps

Online

Online

Our virtual classroom means you can provide one to one support to more pupils at once

One to one

One to one

Tutors encourage pupils to verbalise their reasoning and explore different strategies

What can you expect?

Plug gaps

90% of pupils show a solid understanding of each concept at the end of each session.

Plug gaps

Double progress

In an independent trial, pupils made 7 months' progress in 14 weeks.

Double progress

Boost confidence

70% of pupils who report low confidence at the start say it has improved after their sessions.

Boost confidence

Improved exam results

100% of teachers surveyed felt the sessions helped pupils achieve higher scores in 2023.

Improved exam results
Regular assessments to personalise learning

Regular assessments to personalise learning

All pupils start with an initial assessment to diagnose gaps and identify the best sequence of lessons for each pupil. Mini-assessments after each session keep this continuously updated.

An end-of-programme assessment shows exactly how pupils have progressed in the topics they’ve covered.

One to one teaching to suit each pupil

One to one teaching to suit each pupil

Tutors adapt the pitch and pace of each session to suit. Scaffolded teaching slides and an ‘I do, we do, you do’ structure enable tutors to provide the exact level of support each pupil needs.

Tutors take the time to get to know their pupils and bring lessons into the real-world by framing questions around their hobbies and interests.

Linked to classroom teaching

Linked to classroom teaching

Diagnostic assessments focus on priority topics as identified by each pupil’s class teacher. Each diagnosable gap is linked to an individual Learning Objective designed to plug this gap.

You choose for Learning Objectives to be automatically selected each week, or to manually select Learning Objectives from our GCSE, KS1, KS2 or SATs curriculum. You’re free to skip lessons or amend the order at any time.

Regular reports to monitor progress

Regular reports to monitor progress

Reports are available every step of the way to ensure you’re kept up to date with how your pupils are getting on, including:

  • Assessment results

  • Topics covered in each session

  • Progress made over time

  • Pupil engagement and enjoyment

  • Tutor and pupil feedback

Real-time feedback for pupils and teachers

Real-time feedback for pupils and teachers

Tutors guide pupils through each question, providing feedback, asking questions and giving praise as they go. Tutors praise pupils for their effort, explanation, focus and working out, not just for finding the correct answer.

Same-day session reports show topics covered, pupil mindset and tutor feedback for each tuition session.

More opportunities for maths talk time

More opportunities for maths talk time

One to one tuition means your pupils engage in meaningful maths conversations with their tutor.

Tutors ask questions like ‘how did you work that out?’ and ‘how would you explain your answer?’ to ensure pupils have really got to grips with the underlying maths behind each question.

Delivered by specially trained tutors

Delivered by specially trained tutors

All tutors are graduates and undergraduates in STEM subjects and undergo a rigorous application including safeguarding and background checks; only 2% of applicants are accepted onto the programme.

Each tutor completes our intensive three-week tutor training programme before delivering their first session and receives regular and ongoing CPD.

Speak to the team today

Let us know how many pupils you're looking to support and we'll be in touch with more information about how it works, the impact you can expect to see and a personalised quote for your school.

Your school will be able to use your National Tutoring Programme funding to help cover the cost.

Trusted by School Leaders

3,700+ schools across the country have chosen Third Space Learning to support their pupils

Guided by diagnostic assessment

Each pupil embarks on their own unique learning journey designed to plug individual gaps

Cost-effective and scalable

Personalised one to one tuition for the price other providers charge for group sessions

Proven to boost progress

In an independent trial, pupils made 7 months' progress in 14 weeks

DfE-approved

All tutoring content and tutors have been quality assured by the Department for Education

You can learn more about how we keep your data safe and secure in our privacy policy.

We appreciate every school’s requirements and budgets are different. Request your quote today and we’ll do everything we can to support as many pupils as possible in a way that works for you.

National Tutoring Programme FAQs

Do schools need to apply for the National Tutoring Programme funding?

There is no requirement for schools to apply for this funding. The grant will be paid through ESFA as part of the DfE’s scheduled payments to schools.

When will schools receive payment?

Local authorities and academies will automatically receive their funding in three stages across the year; September 2022, December 2022 and April 2023.

Is this funding exclusively for pupils eligible for pupil premium?

No, although the funding has previously been calculated based on pupils eligible for Pupil Premium, this is just a way of allocating funding per school. Teachers are free to use their own discretion to decide which pupils need additional tuition.

Do schools have to spend their tuition funding?

Yes, any money unspent or not spent on tutoring or on academic mentors (another route of the NTP) will be recovered at the end of the academic year.

How is the National Tutoring Programme different this year?

From November 2020 to August 2022, tutoring from DfE-approved Tuition Partners was available with a 70-75% subsidy as part of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), with the school only invoiced for 25-30% and the government covering the rest of the costs. From the start of the 2022-23 academic year, all NTP funding goes directly to schools. Tuition will still be available from DfE accredited Tuition Partners like Third Space Learning, but schools will be invoiced the standard price and be able to use their NTP funding to cover up to 60% of the cost, rather than receive a subsidised invoice. If schools wish to use their NTP funding on external providers, they must still choose accredited partners such as Third Space Learning. In the 2023-24 academic year, schools will be able to use their NTP funding to cover up to 50% of the cost.

What funding is available to cover costs not covered by this funding?

Schools can use existing school budgets such as Pupil Premium to cover the remaining costs.

Can schools use more than one provider at the same time?

Yes, pupils are able to receive tuition from more than one NTP tuition partner at a time. This is particularly useful if you would like pupils to receive support in more than one subject. Similarly, there is no limit on the number of providers that a school can work with at once.

Will all approved providers charge the same price?

No, it’s up to the tutoring provider how much they charge. The DfE has assumed an average cost of £18 per hour (blended across one-to-one and small group tuition) and as such will fund 60% of the cost of tuition up to this price. Schools are free to spend above or below this assumed average; where schools spend less than £18 per hour the DfE will still only cover 60% of the cost (50% in the 2023-24 academic year), where schools spend more they will need to cover more than 60% out of their own budgets (e.g. pupil premium). Because Third Space Learning delivers online maths tuition via a global tutor community, we’ve been able to provide one to one tuition for the price many other providers charge for small group sessions.

Can schools use their tuition funding on tuition from Third Space Learning?

Yes! We recommend that to provide quality additional support to the greatest number of pupils you use Third Space Learning. Our online tuition enables you to make the best use of your tuition funding but of course other DfE approved Tuition Partners are also available. Talk to several and see what works best for your school environment.

How will Third Space Learning support data collection?

In our termly reports, you will be able to see the number of sessions that each pupil has received, as well as the topics covered. This should make it quick and easy to collect the necessary information for the mandatory data submissions and to report to school leaders.

How long has the NTP been running

The National Tutoring Programme was a catch-up fund set up to support pupils affected by school closures during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown in 2020. Robust research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Sutton Trust demonstrated that one to one and small group tutoring was the intervention to have the greatest impact on improving outcomes for young people.