Ofsted to review tutoring reforms

Ofsted will carry out an independent review of the government’s tutoring reforms.

The watchdog has been commissioned by ministers to review the catch-up policy. It will investigate how the scheme is working on the ground through research visits, evidence from inspections and “other methods”.

The review will look “assess the progress and, where possible, the effectiveness of the government’s education recovery plans”.

Ofsted’s review of tutoring will cover both schools and 16 to 19 provision, and will consider the “overall quality” of tutoring whether it is provided directly or through the National Tutoring Programme and 16 to 19 tuition fund.

The review is being launched in addition to an independent evaluation of the 16 to 19 tuition fund, which will measure the scheme’s impact on attainment and explore how it could be improved in future years.

Ofsted’s findings of will be published in summer 2022 and summer 2023.

Tutoring review to look how students are selected

The review of tutoring will also consider how well schools and 16 to 19 providers “integrate” tutoring into their curriculum planning and delivery, its effect on the overall quality of education, and the likelihood that it will help children catch up”.

Ofsted will also consider the rationale for selecting particular learners for tutoring, and the selection criteria for recruiting tutors.

The review will also look at how much time and resources schools and providers use on managing and monitoring tuition, and whether this detracts from other activities or leads to “any other unforeseen consequences”.

Inspectors will also look at whether students receiving tutoring “still have access to the whole curriculum”, and if not, what they are missing.

During the review, Ofsted will visit a sample of schools and 16 to 19 providers that are taking a “range of different tutoring routes”, and carry out interviews, focus groups and observations of tutoring.

Inspectors will also interview leaders of a “small number” of NTP tuition partners, and survey parents and students.