Volunteers needed to support pupils in local schools across Sussex

Education charity, Action Tutoring, is appealing for more volunteers in Sussex to bridge the immediate learning gap and help disadvantaged children from falling behind in their education.

Action Tutoring works with state primary and secondary schools to identify pupils at risk of not attaining the standard pass grades. They then match them with well-trained volunteer tutors to provide crucial support in English and maths, for one hour a week, to help improve their subject knowledge and confidence.

In the 2022-23 academic year, 58 volunteer tutors supported 327 primary and secondary pupils in maths and English in Sussex. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the risk of not meeting academic standards, pupils supported by the charity's volunteer tutors outperformed other disadvantaged pupils in both maths and reading in the 2021-22 academic year.

Action Tutoring’s approach is working. Nationally, primary pupils who received tutoring attained 8 percentage points above the national average for disadvantaged pupils. Also, 72% of secondary pupils we supported achieved a grade 4 or above in their maths GCSE, compared to only 53% of disadvantaged pupils nationally.

Cohen, a former Year 11 pupil at Seaford Head School in East Sussex, attended 14 tutoring sessions with his tutor. He said: “I do definitely feel better about English now. I love writing stories, being able to write about what you want to write about is what I like.”

Jerry Pine has been a volunteer since 2019 and provides secondary English tutoring for pupils across schools in Sussex. “Volunteering for an hour or few hours a week can make a huge difference to these childrens' lives, in developing their confidence, well- being and self- esteem. The intensive, close-knit support of our sessions with the guidance of my superbly committed and talented coordinators over the years has definitely brought another dimension, to complement the classroom lessons.”

With a commitment of one hour a week, volunteers provide a nurturing and empowering environment that helps pupils overcome their academic challenges, pass their grades, and increase their life chances. In the previous academic year, Action Tutoring supported over 5,700 pupils across England with a team of volunteers who are aged between 18- 82.

Action Tutoring provides the training and all the resources so volunteers don’t need to plan lessons or be curriculum experts. Visit www.actiontutoring.org.uk/volunteer to learn more and fill out our application form or call us on 020 3872 5894 if you have any questions.