Context
Our circumstances are unusual in that we are the only school in a small ‘pocket’ of higher deprivation in Bridport and West Dorset. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) and with special educational needs or disabilites (SEND), in particular with education health and care plans (EHCPs), is well above the national average.
During the school closures, 20 per cent of our pupils attended school. A small number of these were children of key workers but the majority attended due to meeting the ‘vulnerable criteria’ set by the Department for Education (DfE).
Since full reopening in September, diagnostic assessments have enabled us to identify gaps in pupils’ understanding. It is clear that those pupils with restricted access to technology and those eligible for FSM have been particularly affected by the closures.
Why Kate decided to access NTP Tuition Partners
We’ve previously used the EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit within school to support our decision making across many aspects of teaching and learning.
Due to the extended period of school closures and the extent of gaps in learning for some children, we wanted to provide support from a qualified teacher and were aware that the evidence for one-to-one tuition as an effective means of support was extensive.