Bath University student 22 year old Nimantha Fernando is urging fellow students and local residents to step forward to tutor and help bridge the widening 18 month attainment gap for the UK’s 27% of disadvantaged pupils at risk of not achieving national standards in maths and English at SAT or GCSE level. “It was a BBC Newsnight feature in which Policy Editor Lewis Goodall hammered home the stark reality of the pandemic – the widening attainment gap between rich and poor and the urgent need to address this problem at a national level that prompted me to take action”, he explained. “I reached out to Action Tutoring – an education charity that works in partnership with UK primary and secondary state schools to deliver outcomes-led tutoring programmes proven to reduce the impact of the pandemic on widening the attainment gap further amongst pupils. I’ve never looked back.”
Nimantha, currently in his penultimate year studying Physics at the University of Bath, joined Action Tutoring as a volunteer in October 2020. He recalled how he struggled with maths and physics at school until his father who is an engineer started tutoring him. This personalised form of teaching gave him a massive boost and helped him gain a much deeper understanding of science and maths. “I realised that in general high academic attainment can be achieved by anyone if they get the right help initially. I made significant progress in a relatively short space of time and managed to secure a place to study physics at the University of Bath after leaving school. I was really chuffed”, he said.
“Having struggled myself at school, I understood the challenges facing fellow students and went on to become a maths ambassador, tutoring GCSE maths classes on a fortnightly basis, helping out like a teaching assistant and running a maths homework club at lunchtime to help younger students with maths problems.
“I now tutor mathematics, with Action Tutoring, to two Year 11 GCSE students from Bristol Cathedral Choir School, once a week. I work methodically step-by-step through the specific elements of maths that they find challenging – such as solving equations or calculating percentages – and encourage them to ask questions. It’s a great feeling passing your knowledge on to others and seeing them grow in confidence.
“I would highly recommend tutoring – there is no better feeling than knowing you are making a real difference to these young people’s lives and helping them to realise their aspirations. Whatever level you tutor at, the pupils will be extremely grateful to you for devoting some of your time to pass on your knowledge.
“Action Tutoring makes such a positive impact – if more of us did it, just imagine what a difference we could make to the life chances of these children. You don’t need to be an English or maths genius, or completely up to speed with the latest GCSE syllabus! As long as you are prepared to help them address gaps in their knowledge and have the confidence to work with a young person, you too can go for it!”
In 2020, 1,098 volunteer tutors ranging in age from 18 to 82 delivered nearly 21,600 hours of tutoring in partnership with 95 schools across the country. With 90% of Action Tutoring’s 2021 pupil cohort eligible for Pupil Premium funding, the charity works hard to deliver outcomes-led tutoring programmes proven to drive up attainment, ensuring that young people from all backgrounds achieve their goals in a socially mobile society. Volunteer tutors are generally required to be educated to degree level or studying for a degree, and to be able to commit to one hour a week of tutoring across the course of a school term.
To sign up to volunteer with Action Tutoring or to learn more, please email hello@actiontutoring.org.uk or call 0203 872 5894.
