Transparency data

Accounting officer assessment: National Tutoring Programme (NTP)

Updated 30 April 2024

Applies to England

Accounting officers have a responsibility to scrutinise significant policy proposals, projects or programmes and ensure the actions of the public organisation they lead meet the 4 accounting officer standards (regularity, propriety, value for money, and feasibility) as set out in managing public money.

From April 2017, the government has committed to making a summary of the key points from these assessments available to Parliament when an accounting officer has conducted an assessment of a project or programme within the government’s major projects portfolio (GMPP).

This accounting officer assessment summary has been prepared to address the 4 accounting officer standards following a material change to the delivery of the National Tutoring Programme.

Background

In October 2020, the department launched the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), part of the £1 billion Covid-19 ‘catch-up’ package, to provide additional, targeted support for children and young people whose education had been most affected by the disruption of the pandemic.

In year 1 of the programme (academic year (AY) 2020 to 2021) the NTP focussed on year groups 1 to 11 and was delivered and managed through two delivery partners:

• The Education Endowment Foundation was responsible for the delivery of the tuition partners route – subsidised 15-hour tuition courses available through approved tuition partners
• Teach First was responsible for the delivery of the academic mentors route – salaried tutors working alongside school staff to provide subject specific work, revision lessons and additional support

The operating model in year 2 (AY 2021 to 2022) was outsourced to a delivery partner, Randstad, through a competitively procured contract. It offered a centralised process for schools to arrange and book tutoring. In addition to the tuition partners and academic mentor tuition routes, a third route, school-led tutoring, was introduced. Through this, schools were funded based on their pupil premium numbers to self-organise tutoring, receiving up to 75% of the costs.

Following feedback from schools for more control over the design and delivery of their tutoring offer, a new tutoring delivery model was developed to channel funding directly to schools, giving them the freedom to decide how best to provide tutoring for their pupils. Alongside the 3 tuition routes (academic mentors, tuition partners and school-led tutoring), the model is supported by services to help schools to maximise the impact from available funding. Cognition Education has been appointed to recruit and deploy academic mentors. Tuition partners will be quality assured by Tribal on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). The Education Development Trust has been appointed to train all new tutors and mentors.

This new operating model for the National Tutoring Programme was implemented from September 2022, with £527 million funding secured for years 3 and 4 of the programme (AYs 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024). The majority of this funding will go directly to schools to subsidise the cost of tutoring they deliver.

Whilst the model has changed, the key policy objectives of the NTP have not changed. It will continue to focus on the most disadvantaged pupils and pupils who are identified as needing additional support.

Assessment against accounting officer standards

Regularity

The department has statutory authority under section 14 of the Education Act 2002 enabling the Secretary of State to provide financial assistance in the form of grant funding for educational related purposes, and permits the directing of funds to schools and companies. Additionally, section 10 of the Education Act 1996 provides a wide power for the Secretary of State to promote education. Expenditure on educational related purposes is covered within the departmental ambit.

Propriety

The revised NTP delivery model was developed in response to best practice and sector feedback and has complied with departmental and governmental governance and assurance requirements and expectations. Delivery partners have been secured following open commercially compliant procurement exercises and the full business case was approved by the department’s investment committee and subsequently by HM Treasury.

The key objective of this programme is to increase the number of disadvantaged children receiving high quality tutoring in order to address the impact of Covid-19 on the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. We do not anticipate this new model directly disadvantaging any group with protected characteristics; rather we believe it will have a positive impact on equalities due to its focus on disadvantaged children.

Value for Money

The department has undertaken net present value and benefit cost ratio analysis on a range of options for delivering the programme, with the option of funding schools directly providing the highest benefits.

Evidence suggests that small group tuition can boost progress by an average of two months in secondary schools and four months in primary schools. Additionally, internal research has found anecdotal evidence from school leaders that NTP is having a positive effect on pupil confidence. Schools reported that the one-to-one tutoring time has had benefits in getting disadvantaged children back into school and being more engaged.

Given the evidence base on the positive impact of tutoring, as well as evidence for the programme thus far, we consider a targeted tutoring offer for the most disadvantaged pupils and those most in need, is a major tool to narrow the attainment gap that has opened up during the pandemic.

Feasibility

DfE estimates that there have been almost 2.1 million starts made by pupils on courses of tuition provided through the NTP. The NTP offer has been delivered by 80% of schools and has received positive feedback from many schools. For example, the first autumn 2021 NTP satisfaction survey found that 77% of schools and 93% of academic mentors agreed that the NTP is having a positive impact on pupil attainment. Additionally, the survey found that 80% of schools and 94% of academic mentors agreed that the NTP is having a positive impact on pupil confidence.

Under the new model, as well as providing ringfenced funding directly to schools, the department will deliver wrap-around support to schools, communications, helpdesk and engagement, and data collection and reporting. Accountability will be maintained by requiring schools to submit regular data returns detailing tutoring carried out. Additionally, Ofsted will conduct a review of tutoring over academic years 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023, providing feedback to support in-year improvement. Also, the department is in the process of commissioning an evaluation of the programme in year 3 (AY 2022 to 2023) to understand whether the new model has achieved its objectives of providing a simpler and better service, with improved visibility of programme performance.

Conclusion

As accounting officer for the Department for Education, I have considered this assessment against the 4 accounting officer standards, and I am satisfied the National Tutoring Programme relies on clear legal powers, meets the standards of managing public money and accords with the generally understood principles of public life; represents good value for money for the Exchequer as a whole; and is feasible to deliver.

If any of these factors change materially during the lifetime of this project, I undertake to prepare a revised summary, setting out my assessment of them.

This summary will be published on the government’s website (GOV.UK). Copies will be deposited in the Library of the House of Commons; and sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General and Treasury Officer of Accounts.

Susan Acland-Hood

Permanent Secretary