Research and analysis

Terms of reference: Ofsted’s independent review of tutoring

Published 22 September 2021

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2021

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsteds-independent-review-of-tutoring/terms-of-reference-ofsteds-independent-review-of-tutoring

The government has asked Ofsted to carry out an independent review of tutoring in schools and 16 to 19 providers. This is one of two reviews that we will carry out to assess the progress and, where possible, effectiveness of the government’s education recovery plans. The other review is about teachers’ professional development, and we have also published terms of reference for this.

This review will consider the overall quality of tutoring provided in schools and 16 to 19 providers, irrespective of whether it is provided by direct employees of the school/16 to 19 provider,[footnote 1] or through National Tutoring Programme (NTP) tuition partners. It will also consider how well schools and 16 to 19 providers are integrating tutoring into their curriculum planning and delivery, the effect of this on the overall quality of education and the likelihood that it will help children catch up.

We will not take a view on whether schools and 16 to 19 providers should use tutoring to deliver the curriculum, nor whether particular pupils or students should receive it.

The review will report publicly in summer 2022 and summer 2023.

It will answer the following questions across both schools and 16 to 19 providers.

Identification of pupils/students for tutoring

  • Is there a coherent, evidence-based rationale for selecting particular pupils/students for tutoring?
  • Is there a coherent, evidence-based rationale for stopping tutoring arrangements?
  • Is the selection of pupils/students for tutoring based on a coherent strategy for catch-up across the whole school/16 to 19 provider?

Suitability of tutors

  • What selection criteria are schools/16 to 19 providers using when recruiting tutors?
  • Is evidence of pupils’/students’ catch-up needs being used to inform the recruitment of tutors?
  • Which subjects are schools/16 to 19 providers typically using tutors for?
  • How does this vary by tutoring route? (schools only)

Alignment with the intended curriculum

  • Does the planned content in tutoring align with the existing curriculum at the school/16 to 19 provider?
  • Can teachers influence curriculum planning for tutors, and vice versa?
  • Who is in control of the overall curriculum plan for these pupils/students?
  • How does this vary by tutoring route? (schools only)

Implementation of tutoring

  • What are pupils/students being taught in tutor sessions?
  • When is tutoring happening?
  • Do pupils/students receiving tutoring still have access to the whole curriculum? If not, what are they missing? How is the school/16 to 19 provider mitigating the impact of this?
  • Are tutors and teachers delivering the curriculum in a consistent way?
  • Do tutors have good subject knowledge of the subjects and courses they are teaching?
  • Do tutors present subject matter clearly, check learners’ understanding systematically, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback?
  • How well is assessment used to inform what is taught by tutors? Is it updated regularly?
  • How does this vary by tutoring route? (schools only)

Impact of tutoring

  • Are pupils who have been tutored able to learn more effectively in their normal lessons?
  • How long do pupils/students need tutoring to catch up?
  • Are tutored pupils/students making faster and more secure progress in subjects than they otherwise would? (This may only be partially answered.)
  • Are there any other effects of tutoring, such as on pupils’/students’ progress in non-tutored subjects or on their attitudes, behaviour and participation?
  • What is the experience of children and parents (for schools) and students (for 16 to 19 providers) of tutoring? How does this compare to the value parents place on private tuition?
  • How does this vary by tutoring route? (schools only)

How tutoring affects the school/college

  • Are schools and 16 to 19 providers monitoring and improving the quality of tutoring?
  • How much time and resources are schools/16 to 19 providers putting into managing and monitoring tuition?
  • Are the time and attention devoted to managing and monitoring tuition detracting from other institutional/staff activities or leading to any other unforeseen consequences?
  • Has the choice to use tutors affected other choices that the school/16 to 19 provider makes?
  • Does tutoring support schools/colleges with their curriculum planning, allowing more time in lessons and/or supporting other extra-curricular work?
  • How does this vary by tutoring route? (schools only)

Our approach

To answer these questions, we 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
  • interview the leadership and management team for a small number of NTP tuition partners
  • carry out a survey of parents (of children in schools) to capture their awareness, experience and views of various different tutoring routes
  • carry out a survey of students (learners in 16 to 19 providers) to capture their experience of tutoring

  1. This includes school-led tutoring, academic mentors and the 16 to 19 tuition fund. ↩

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