Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department plans to divide the £349 million catch up premium for tutoring between schools; and whether his Department plans to weight that funding so schools receiving high levels of Pupil Premium will be allocated proportionally more funding.

The department announced on Thursday 31 March 2022 plans to simplify the National Tutoring Programme for the next academic year. This will include providing funding directly to schools, which can then design their own tutoring offer according to the needs of their pupils. This new approach will build on our successful introduction this year of school-led tutoring and is consistent with our view that schools are best-placed to determine what works best for them.

Schools will receive information on their National Tutoring Programme funding allocation for the 2022/23 academic year early in the summer term. Funding allocations will be determined by each school’s number of disadvantaged pupils, which will mean that funding is targeted towards pupils that need tutoring most.

Our guidance and support for schools will make clear that their tutoring offer must support disadvantaged pupils. Schools will be asked to report on how they have delivered tutoring, and to which pupils.