Sheffield schools get chance to tackle education inequality with new maths trial

Action Tutoring has partnered with education charity, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) on the research project, which aims to better understand the impact of the tutoring programme on attainment and its potential to help reduce regional inequality across England’s education system.

Local and national disadvantage: The challenges

Currently, the national attainment gap is significantly wider now than at any time in the last 12 years, with government analysis (1*) highlighting stark local gaps in education outcomes, including across South Yorkshire.

Statistics (1*) show 38.2% of disadvantaged pupils achieved grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths in the area in 2024. By contrast, non-disadvantaged pupils achieved a 73.2% pass rate, meaning pupils facing disadvantage in Sheffield were 35% behind their peers, a significant gap.

Pupils experiencing socio-economic disadvantage are continuing to face huge challenges, exacerbated by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that 9 children in an average class of 30 will be living in poverty (2*). According to education charity Get Further, more than half of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds leave school without a standard pass in GCSE English and maths (3*).

Action Tutoring aims to offer vital academic support to young people facing disadvantage, to give them a fair chance to reach their full potential.

Proven tutoring impact

To address these challenges, Action Tutoring is committed to unlocking pupils’ academic potential across Sheffield’s schools through the power of tutoring.

Tutoring is a powerful academic intervention. Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that, on average, one-to-one tuition (4*) could add as much as five months’ progress to a young person’s schooling.

Analysis from 2023-24 (5*) showed that where disadvantaged pupils attended 10 or more tutoring sessions as part of the Action Tutoring programme, they increased their chances of passing GCSE maths by 17%, compared to the national pass rate for other pupils from similar backgrounds.

The programme is powered by Action Tutoring’s dedicated volunteers and staff who support pupils with weekly hour-long online or face-to-face sessions. Schools signing up can access up to 20 tutoring sessions for each participating pupil.

How Action Tutoring makes a lasting difference

One such beneficiary of Action Tutoring’s maths programme is Charlotte Bowyer. The deputy headteacher at King Ecgbert School in Sheffield says Action Tutoring’s maths programme has been life-changing for pupils.

Charlotte said: “We’re very pleased with Action Tutoring’s programme, as it provides affordable tutoring with clear results.

“The team is always very well organised, flexible and they ensure the tutors establish positive relationships with pupils, helping to boost their confidence in maths.”

Rachael Galletly, Action Tutoring’s Northern Programme Manager, said: “Thanks to approaches like this trial with the Education Endowment Foundation, it will only underline how much interventions like tutoring matter to pupils and school staff alike. Senior leaders like Charlotte highlight the importance of building pupils’ confidence, including in maths, and we’re proud to support every young person and give them the platform for a brighter educational future.”

Calling on schools to participate, Jen Fox, Action Tutoring CEO, said: “We’re delighted to deliver this innovative trial with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Action Tutoring has been building the evidence base for its maths programme for more than a decade, but the evaluation will truly help us examine how our leading approach improves maths attainment and attitudes among Year 7, 10 and 11 pupils facing disadvantage.

“We’re also thrilled we can offer tutoring at a substantially reduced rate, through the trial, to participating schools, providing a solution to budget constraints. Participating schools will feel a true part of our mission to improve outcomes for every young person we support.

“We’re looking forward to hearing from anyone interested in the EEF trial; thank you.”

Education Endowment Foundation’s impact

The Education Endowment Foundation’s mission is focused on breaking the link between family income and education attainment through better use of evidence. Since 2011, three quarters of state-funded schools in England have taken part in at least one EEF-funded project.

Chris Paterson, co-CEO at The Education Endowment Foundation, said: “We know that many schools across the country are struggling under tight budgets, balancing these pressures with supporting their teachers and ensuring that their pupils receive the best possible education. This trial offers a good way for school leaders to explore new teaching approaches in their settings, while also helping to build a wider evidence base on what works.

“By building a more evidence-informed education system, we can support all pupils to fulfil their true potential at school and help to close the attainment gap for children growing up in poverty.”

How the EEF evaluation of Action Tutoring’s programme will work

Providing the opportunity forSheffield’s schools to join the subsidised tutoring trial, the Action Tutoring and EEF partnered evaluation helps pupils across secondary education to access high quality tuition in maths.

Year 7 pupils receiving tutoring will be supported in making a smooth transition from key stage 2 to 3. In addition, Year 10 and Year 11 pupils being tutored as part of the evaluation will be prepared for maths GCSE success, with the charity’s intention to reduce their exam anxiety and enable better outcomes.

Getting involved in the trial

To find out more about this exciting opportunity - which can help make a tangible difference to the attainment gap at a local level - and to express your interest in the trial, visit the Action Tutoring website. You can also join a webinar for schools about the programme.

If you’re unsure if your school is eligible for the trial, email [email protected], or call Gabi Cumming on 07708 479 865.

Source references for further information:

* 1: Department for Education: Key Stage 4 performance statistics: 2024 dataset. Accessed: 19 May 2025.

* 2: Child Poverty Action Group: Tackling child poverty: an urgent priority. Published: March 2024

* 3: Get Further: Response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report. Published: March 2025

* 4: Education Endowment Foundation: Teaching and Learning Toolkit: One-to-one tuition. Last updated: 12 June 2025.

* 5: Action Tutoring: Impact Report 2023-24. Published: January 2025.