VIEWS & OPINION Virtual tutoring: the time


is now Comment by Dr JUNAID MUBEEN, Director of Education, Whizz Education


There is much to laud about the Department for Education’s investment in tutoring as a catchup strategy. One-to-one tutoring is an unrivalled means of supporting student catchup and, in light of the extensive knowledge declines during the pandemic, it must form the basis of any recovery initiative. But the DfE has missed a trick by failing, so far, to acknowledge the


proven pedigree of virtual tutoring. A virtual tutor is an automated online system that simulates the most effective instructional behaviours of a human tutor.


The case for virtual tutoring is emphatic: • Economics: £700 for 15 hours of human tutoring (via the National Tutoring Programme) vs £10/student for unlimited tutoring. • Pedagogy: for identifying and addressing students' core knowledge gaps and providing just-in-time feedback and support, virtual tutors are demonstrably as effective as a human tutor. • Equality: students from low-income backgrounds, already behind their peers, have been further disadvantaged by the pandemic. Virtual tutoring provides a safety net otherwise lacking in education.


Our call for national-scale rollout of virtual tutoring is premised on three principles:


1. Access for all: Allow students to learn anytime, anywhere The pandemic has brought into stark focus the alarming disparities in home learning. Every student should ideally have access to internet- enabled devices at home as a contingency for school closures, and to complement the learning happening in class. Rollout of government-


How education lettings can help schools financially recover in 2021


Comment by KATY BAKER, Director of Services and Education Lettings Specialist at Oaks Consultancy and FRANCES HOLGETH, Senior Business Development Manager at School Space


To ensure that your lettings income, customers and reputation are protected, here are six key tips on how to form a successful and profitable partnership with an education lettings service during 2021 and beyond.


• Take your time After months of lost revenue opportunities, you might feel pressured into signing new contracts. However, whether you’re looking to lease school buildings for the first time or seeking a new lettings partner, you should take a more cautious approach. Do not feel rushed into making a decision about working with a partner,


especially now there’s been a sudden flurry of activity with the sector recently reopening. Before any serious conversations, be sure that you are clear on what you can expect to achieve together.


• Shop around Speaking with multiple agencies will paint a fuller picture of what you’re looking to gain from pursuing the education lettings market. From communication to team integration, there are several factors to consider. We’d always suggest meeting with multiple partners to get a feel for what


is important to your school or Trust. As well as being able to compare price points and service differentiations, this should give you a better idea of what to expect with a lettings partnership, from the logistics of crisis management to day-to-day communications.


July/August 2021


funded laptops has been patchy, with hundreds of thousands of students still lacking access to online learning a year into the pandemic. This is not a one-time investment: laptop provision must be backed up by recurring investment in repairs and upgrades to hardware, software and connectivity.


2. Capacity building: Empower teachers with integrated solutions The wellbeing of students, parents and teachers must never be pitted against learning. Recovery strategies must reinforce the existing efforts of schools and teachers, who have been nothing short of heroic during the pandemic and need solutions that align to their current provision. The efficiencies of virtual tutoring, and the flexibility with which it can be implemented as part of teachers’ practice, has been proven to reduce workload. And since continuous assessment is embedded throughout the tutoring process, measuring and recovering learning loss need not be a ‘high-stakes’ affair that induces anxiety.


3. Real-time accountability: Monitor, evaluate and course correct at every turn The learning data generated by virtual tutoring platforms, as a by-product of students’ learning, enables real-time monitoring and evaluation of large-scale implementations by teachers, head teachers and programme administrators. Continuous course correction is the most robust and accountable mechanism available to justify large-scale EdTech investment, and it has proven to double the learning rates of students in some of the most marginalised communities worldwide. Our response to COVID-19 must not only mitigate immediate threats to


students’ learning, but also embed resilience in our education system to prepare for future shocks. The UNESCO Institute of Statistics projects that recovery efforts will take several years, and even while proactive intervention strategies can halve that period, a long-term commitment is needed to support students impacted by the pandemic.


Let's use the capabilities that our modern age affords us to ensure equity and learning opportunity for all.


• Get references and testimonials Even if you’re sold on a prospective lettings partner, don’t forget to do your homework and ratify any testimonials and reviews that are shared with you. Testimonials can help to reassure that any potential providers genuinely


share your values and can align with your own ways of working. As well as those provided directly by the company, see if you can make contact with another school who use them, ideally in your local area.


• Understand the financial mode on offer There are a variety of financial models currently offered by lettings management companies. Take time to consider which will be the most convenient and profitable for your organisation. The main distinction between different models is whether they require a set


payment on a monthly, termly or annual basis or if they work on a revenue share basis where the amount paid is based on the success of any lettings activity. Understanding which financial mode works best for you and your institution is crucial to a successful long-term partnership.


• Read and negotiate the contract After you’ve found your ideal lettings partner, take the time to read and re- read your contract. As well as reviewing essential details such as contact information, billing and progress reporting, you’ll be creating a foundation of mutual trust and respect. Always make sure to thoroughly read any contracts. Important topics to


keep in mind include laying out clear lines of communication and timescales for regular check-ins: we would recommend scheduling a call or meeting every 2 weeks at a minimum.


• Get external help if needed If you need assistance benchmarking the commercial success against local competition, reviewing your pricing and expenditure and other aspects of community lettings, you could consider seeking external support from expert organisations. If you lack the confidence or capacity to commission a provider - or aren’t


sure about outsourcing - you could consider commissioning an external agency, like Oaks, to support you through the process. Having supported over 140 schools and academies in the last 12 months, we can offer a wealth of experience and an objective view of good practice suggestions.


www.education-today.co.uk 21


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