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9 July 2026

Tutoring can help GCSE resit learners – but only if they turn up

The biggest challenge with GCSE resits isn't the quality of tutoring but getting learners to attend consistently
Kathryn Davies Guest Contributor

16-19 Lead at the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)

4 min read
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At EEF, we generate evidence about what works to improve outcomes for learners, particularly those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We also help the education sector put that evidence into practice.

We’re always searching for programmes and approaches that will help leaders and teachers make the most of their limited time and budgets. So we’re actively looking for what will help learners resitting their GCSE English and maths exams achieve a grade 4.

One approach with a strong evidence base in other phases is tutoring. Overall, research consistently shows that tutoring can be an effective method for improving attainment. We wanted to understand tutoring’s impact in a 16-19 context, and how tutoring programmes can be most effective.

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