Facing COVID-19: Tutoring company makes learning accessible in online move

A tutoring company has refocused its business to online sessions since the coronavirus lockdown and has seen a 100 per cent increase in sessions since schools shut.

Tutorful, based in Yorkshire, has doubled its online tutoring sessions since the start of the lockdown measures.

Tutorful has also said it is creating jobs where possible. Between March 9 and March 22 this year, it saw a 248 per cent increase in people signing up to be tutors and run online lessons from home.

Previously, the online tutoring platform made up 20 per cent of the business overall.

There has been a surge in demand for primary school tutoring - triple the demand in March compared to February - and the trend continues for secondary school age children.

Lessons for Key Stage 3 have seen a 110 per cent month-on month-increase.

Mark Hughes, co-founder of Tutorful, commented: “Online tutoring used to make up just 20 per cent of our business, it is now 100 per cent - because of social distancing there can obviously be no face-to-face teaching in homes anymore.

“The style of teaching has changed too, with everyone’s change in circumstances.

“Tutoring is usually very outcome based, you’re tutored for an exam for example, but now the need is to keep kids engaged in daily learning as best we can.

“A couple of hours with a tutor whenever possible can really help to do that.

“It adds structure to the day and also takes the pressure off parents who are no doubt feeling stressed with the added pressure of trying to homeschool whilst working from home.”

“We’re seeing teachers signing up, tutors who left the profession and are now returning, people completely new to tutoring, students who have found their semester at university has come to an abrupt end, and people with SEN experience which is much needed.

“We’re really pleased that we can keep these people earning money - switching lessons to online for however long the lockdown restrictions continue.”

Tutorful is also looking to help more parents by making tutoring more affordable with more group sessions.

“I’m hearing from parents who have children with three different key stages under one roof - who are struggling to know where to start with homeschooling.

“We also know that paying for an hour of a tutor’s time isn’t possible for everyone. We’re working as quickly as we can on a group classroom-style tutoring experience, where five or six children of a similar school age can be taught by one tutor.

“This gives children some of that peer-to-peer classroom experience which they are in no doubt missing, and will make the cost of a tutor much more affordable to parents.

“We’re hoping it will cost around 60 per cent less than one-on-one tutoring.”