The campaign is encouraging educators from both public and private sectors to dedicate just 45 minutes a week to help transform the life of a child in care, providing essential academic support and mentorship to some of the most vulnerable young people in the country.

Now in its fifth year, Lumina is a transformative non-profit collaboration initiated and led by Shaftesbury Enterprise, Harrow School’s initiative focussed on improved educational and life outcomes for young people.

Lumina has already made a significant impact on the lives of children in care, enhancing their educational outcomes and future opportunities. Since its inception the programme has supported over 100 children in care and teachers participating in the programme now number 100. The campaign aims to add more teachers as it expands.

With growing national demand for additional support for young people in care to meet their educational targets, the programme is seeking to expand its pool of teachers to ensure that even more children can benefit from its tutoring support.

One of the most powerful elements of Lumina’s success is the trust and connection formed between students and their volunteer teachers. Each teacher commits to just 45 minutes a week, working one-to-one with students to prepare them for their public exams, predominantly GCSE and A Level. These sessions offer academic guidance and a sense of stability for children who have experienced disrupted schooling due to personal circumstances.

The impact of this short but focused time commitment can be profound, helping to boost students’ confidence and performance, while also teaching vital life skills like critical thinking and communication.

Tim Dalton, Director of Shaftesbury Enterprise and a participating teacher on the Lumina programme, said: “The power of teaching goes beyond educating individuals and equipping them with the skills to succeed in life. Our profession is also about instilling confidence and encouraging those who need it, to master their full potential and strengthen their relationships.

“Lumina is evidence of the transformative effect that dedicated tutoring can have on children’s lives. We know the model leads to success for our students and now we need other teachers to volunteer for the programme so that we can help to make a positive difference for as many looked after children as possible.”

Gitanjali Bhattacharya, Director of Lumina, believes that the programme’s volunteer-led model is what makes it so effective:

“At Lumina we know that 45 minutes of focused, one-on-one support can transform a young person’s educational experience in ways that go far beyond the classroom. Many of the children we work with have faced significant barriers to their learning, and what they often need most is someone who can give them time, attention, and guidance to help them catch up and thrive. By building trust and consistency through regular tutoring, we are not only improving academic outcomes but also giving these young people the confidence and skills to succeed in life.

“We’re calling on teachers across the country to join us in this mission – whether from state schools and academies, or the independent sector – to help us reach even more children in care who deserve access to quality education and personal development opportunities. Volunteering a little time each week can have a profound and lasting impact on a child’s future.”

Lumina’s campaign aims to build a network of teachers in the United Kingdom who are willing to volunteer their expertise outside of their regular duties. By getting involved, teachers will not only contribute to the academic success of looked-after children but also become part of a movement that is working to close the gap in educational attainment for some of the country’s most vulnerable students.

Lumina, which started by serving the London Borough of Harrow, has rapidly expanded due to its success. It now partners with multiple local authorities, including Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon, Wandsworth, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire, ensuring that looked-after children in a variety of settings have access to the programme’s transformative tutoring services. As Lumina continues to grow, the need for more volunteer teachers is greater than ever.

Teachers interested in joining the programme can sign up on the Lumina website, where they can learn more about the simple, yet impactful role they can play in shaping the lives of children in care.

NFER has published a report, Tutoring sustainability: Understanding the views of school leaders, after gathering the views of a nationally representative sample of senior leaders from primary and secondary schools in England. This included those who are currently participating in the NTP, have previously participated in the NTP, and have never participated in the NTP. The survey took place between 10 and 15 March 2023.

The results found nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of the 52 per cent of senior leaders currently using the programme are planning to continue using it in the 2023/24 academic year. Three quarters (76 per cent) currently using the NTP believe it is improving the attainment of their disadvantaged pupils, while 73 per cent believe the programme selection guidance allows them to prioritise pupils most in need of academic support.

However, views on the cost-effectiveness of the programme are split (42 per cent believe it is cost-effective and 45 per cent do not) while 58 per cent of surveyed leaders do not think tutoring is a long-term solution to closing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.

The top five reasons given by senior leaders for dropping out of the NTP were:

1. Reduced subsidy (55 per cent)
2. Annual funding arrangements for the NTP made it difficult to forward plan (35 per cent)
3. Difficulties sourcing suitable tutors (28 per cent)
4. Administrative burden required to access the funding was too high (27 per cent)
5. Reporting requirements for the funding were too burdensome (23 per cent)

Dr Ben Styles, NFER’s Head of Classroom Practice and Workforce, said: “School leaders mostly believe the NTP is helping disadvantaged pupils, but many feel this support comes at too high a cost in terms of finances and administration.

“Tutoring is not yet embedded in schools. Long-term financial support is needed alongside reductions to the administrative burden on staff.

“Leaders would also benefit from much more notice on changes to funding arrangements, so they can forward plan and budget properly.

“Overcoming these barriers is vital if tutoring is to win the hearts and minds of schools and be seen as a sustainable way of helping to close the attainment disadvantage gap.”

The study also found:

• Almost all (91 per cent) senior leaders currently using the NTP feel it has allowed them to offer support to more disadvantaged pupils and more than two thirds (68 per cent) have been able to hire or use additional staff. But nearly half (47 per cent) reported that their school only offers tutoring during normal lesson times.
• Issues with NTP funding arrangements are the main reason schools are stopping delivery of the programme, but only 46 per cent of senior leaders agree that providing tutoring would be their top priority if more funding was available for supporting disadvantaged pupils.
• The ability to source suitable tutors, administrative burden and time required to implement the NTP are barriers to sustainability as they are reducing take-up and/or causing drop-out from the programme.
• More than half of all senior leaders surveyed (61 per cent) believe that other types of support are more effective than tutoring for improving attainment amongst disadvantaged pupils, including 42 per cent of senior leaders planning to continue using the NTP next year.
Among numerous recommendations, the report calls on the Government to:
• Explore how additional financial support can be made available to schools over a longer period, to allow tutoring to become embedded in schools.
• Provide schools with more notice about funding arrangements for new programmes to allow them to forward plan.
• Review and reduce the administrative requirements to access, implement and report upon NTP funding and that of other future programmes.
• Work with schools and tutoring organisations to understand their requirements for tutors and consider how best to recruit and retain tutors as part of a wider school workforce strategy.
• Undertake further research to investigate which aspects of tutoring and its implementation can be optimised to improve attainment outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, so that best practice can be shared among schools.