Student Tutoring

What is Student Tutoring?

Student tutoring involves student volunteers, usually undergraduate, helping in local schools and colleges for one session each week, for a minimum of 10 weeks. Many of the students involved are keen to pursue a career in teaching, while others participate through a desire to do something worthwhile with their free time.

The Royal Holloway student tutoring scheme is part of the nation-wide Community Service Volunteers Learning Together programme which aims to raise the aspirations of school pupils to continue with education and training post-GCSE by providing them with positive role models from Higher Education.

The Growth of Student Tutoring

The Royal Holloway student tutoring scheme was re-launched in September 2000 with much enthusiasm from Royal Holloway students and local schools. A total of 50 students have been placed in 13 local primary and secondary schools, and sixth form colleges. Many of the students have chosen to carry on past the required 10 weeks, and many are already arranging placements for next year.

As the scheme grows in success we are always keen to involve more students and more schools.

The Royal Holloway student tutoring scheme is also now operating as part of the APT Project (Access and Participation Together), an initiative funded by HEFCE to widen participation in Higher Education. As part of the project Royal Holloway is carrying out a survey of all tutoring schemes in Surrey, Berkshire and North Hampshire and a formal report will be published in the autumn of 2001.

Who joins the Scheme & what subjects do they help with?

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Student tutoring appeals to students from a wide range of academic departments. While many choose to tutor in their degree subject, others opt to tutor in another of their interest areas.

As an extra to the tutoring scheme all those who are placed in a primary school are offered additional ‘Reading Together’ training. This training is given by an expert from the Community Service Volunteers, and it shows the tutors how best to help with and encourage children's’ reading.

Subjects tutored in the 2000/01 placements have included English, Maths, Drama, Biology, Chemistry, French, Geography, Art, Classics, Economics, and Sport.

Who benefits?

The idea behind student tutoring is that all those involved benefit.

• PUPILS can benefit from having more individual attention and a positive role model.
• TEACHERS benefit from having an extra pair of hands.
• TUTORS benefit from increasing their skills through valuable work experience.

We regularly receive comments praising the work of the tutors and the scheme.

"I’m really enjoying myself! It’s lovely when the children are genuinely happy to see me." (From a student tutor)

"[The tutor’s] personality and enthusiasm contributed to the ethos of the class. She provided a very useful pair of hands within the class." (From a teacher)

A Case Study

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Anna Walsh, a final year French student, writes about her experience with the Student Tutoring Scheme.

"Since October 2000, I have been working with the Mathematics Department at Strode's College in Egham. I have been visiting the school on a Friday morning from 11am until 2pm when I help out with two classes of GCSE retake students. In the lessons I generally work with individual pupils as problems or difficulties occur in their class work. Up until last week I was also visiting the school on a Wednesday morning for an hour to work individually with a special needs student taking his Maths GCSE for the first time.

"I have found the experience very fulfilling and I enjoy my visits to Strode's very much. The pupils and the teachers are very welcoming and friendly and I have found it very easy to fit in. As I am a French finalist at Royal Holloway, I have found that my visits to the school add some variety and increased enjoyment to my weekly routine, giving me the opportunity to revise my Maths which I have not studied since doing A-level. After my experience as an assistant, teaching English in France last year, being a student tutor has also confirmed my desire to become a teacher. But I will be following a PGCE in French and not Maths."

Obtaining More Information

For more information about the Royal Holloway student tutoring scheme, or our involvement in the APT Project, please contact Emily Hudson (01784 443354).

A copy of the report entitled Student Tutoring Activities in the APT Project Region can be obtained by contacting EILO.