One-to-one tuition to drive up standards

MORE than 1,500 pupils across Oldham will get free one-to-one tuition to ensure they don’t fall behind in English and maths.

Under plans announced by Schools Secretary Ed Balls, 838 seven to 10-year-olds across the borough will be given intensive bursts of 10 hours’ individual tuition with a qualified tutor this academic year, along with 801 of 11 to 16 year-olds.

The move is part of the Government’s £468 million programme to drive up primary and secondary school standards.

Ministers want all children to be achieving their potential, “whatever their family income.”

Nationally, 300,000 children will benefit this year and a further 300,000 in 2010/11. Mr Balls said: “This is a big step forward to helping all children reach their potential at school.
“I want to create real momentum over the next two years. Thousands of tutors have already come forward with a huge commitment to improve children’s progress — but I think we’ve got the potential to create an army of highly-qualified tutors to help pupils get most out of primary school and hit the ground running at secondary.

“No child should stall or get stuck at any stage of their education.

“We know that many children at certain points of their school careers benefit from a short burst of tailored, individual support, on top of effective class teaching — particularly changing schools at 11.”

Last month, there were celebrations across Oldham when teenagers collected their GCSE results. The pass rate was up again with many schools reporting their best ever results.

It is thought 71 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades — the ninth consecutive year levels have risen.

Cash will now be given to Oldham’s education chiefs to provide free extra tuition.

Mr Balls said he wanted to create an “army of tutors” from newly-qualified, existing, retired and part-time teachers to drive up pupils’ progress and improve their own professional development.

More than 25,000 one-to-one tutors have already registered with the Training and Development Agency since it launched its recruitment campaign in June — with the overall aim of reaching up to 100,000 by 2010/11.

Tutors will get paid an hourly rate of between £25 and £29 out of school hours and schools can take on full-time tutors so that tuition can take place during normal classroom hours, as well as evenings and weekends.