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Our thoughts on EPI's school hours and attainment report

Following the Education Policy Institute's latest report, we share our reflections on its findings and how it relates to the tuition that we offer

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  • Time to read: 2 minutes

We welcome the recent report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), which highlights a positive link between the length of the school day and academic attainment

As schools, the Government, and young people continue to face the challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we must explore all strategies to close the widening attainment gap - especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The time to act is now, and we must implement bold, creative, and impactful measures to improve education outcomes across the board.

The report finds that an additional hour of weekly schooling is associated with a 0.17-grade improvement at GCSE, which is particularly significant. However, the study also reveals disparities in the length of the school day across different types of schools, with academically selective, Outstanding schools and those in London offering more hours. To ensure a truly equitable education system, we must guarantee that all young people, regardless of their social or economic background, have equal access to high-quality academic and cultural enrichment activities.

Tutor Trust is committed to playing our part in addressing these inequalities. Our tutoring services (delivered both before and after school), consistently help pupils achieve an average progress of over 0.8 of a GCSE grade. Our initial data analysis looking into the effect of session time and progress (albeit with a relatively small sample size), shows that this average improvement is consistent whether it occurs during or following the school day.

This is backed up by our Randomised Control Trial which showed the impact our tuition has across the education system with an average of 3 months of learning gained on each programme. This shows that tuition is a highly beneficial, impactful and evidence-based approach during or after the school day.

We will continue to monitor the impact of our after-school tuition, using data to build a robust, evidence-based case for how tailored support beyond the classroom can complement extended learning time and boost attainment.

The Education Policy Institute is a vital source of independent research into education, which the Tutor Trust is proud to continue to partner with".
Ed Marsh, CEO, The Tutor Trust
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