Action Tutoring Receives the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award

Education charity, Action Tutoring, has been announced as a recipient of The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Volunteering Award, in recognition of the work of its inspirational volunteer tutors and their immense impact on young people facing disadvantage across England. Through the dedication of its volunteer tutors and partnership with schools, Action Tutoring has been delivering academic support to disadvantaged young people for over a decade.

We are thrilled to have our work recognised by this award, particularly for the incredible service of our volunteers and the impact they have on the young people we support. We simply could not do what we do without them.

Susannah Hardyman, founder and CEO of Action Tutoring

Since its establishment in 2012, Action Tutoring has been relentlessly focused on helping pupils facing disadvantage in Years 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11 to progress academically, using high-quality, trained volunteer tutors. The Covid-19 pandemic deepened the education inequalities that already existed for many disadvantaged young people. Amid the school closures, Action Tutoring stepped up to the increasing demand for tutoring support and almost tripled the number of pupils they supported to positively impact more young people who needed help the most.

This one-off service award was created to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and 20 years of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS). The Jubilee Award recognises 20 national charities whose work empowers young people aged 16-25, with volunteers playing a pivotal role in delivering this. The award submissions were judged over the summer by an expert panel chaired by Sir Martyn Lewis CBE (Chair of QAVS). The panel included members from each UK nation as well as two youth representatives. His Majesty The King personally approved the 20 awardees, following the panel’s selection.

These awards highlight the indispensable role that the voluntary sector plays in targeting help, advice, and guidance where it is needed most. These awards should also be seen as a tribute to the millions of volunteers and donors who, in difficult times, provide the resources of time and money which contribute so powerfully to the social fabric of our country.

Sir Martyn Lewis CBE, the QAVS Chair

Last year alone, volunteer tutors delivered a staggering 30,855 tutoring sessions, in-person and online, to support 6,159 primary and secondary disadvantaged pupils to succeed academically. Action Tutoring is proud of its diverse pool of volunteers from different backgrounds and between the ages of 18 to 82, including university students, full-time or part-time employees from different sectors of business, and retired professionals. The varied range of volunteer tutors, motivated by their selfless devotion to the charity’s mission, bring unique perspectives and experiences to improve the subject knowledge, confidence, and tolerance of the disadvantaged young people they support.

I never expected the sense of pride and accomplishment I would be feeling, not just for myself, but for the pupils experiencing academic progress. This volunteering opportunity has allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the education of young people, which has been so rewarding that I can’t even begin to express my gratitude.

Eve – a university student and Action Tutoring volunteer in Liverpool

In spite of the challenging backdrop of Covid-19, Year 6 children eligible for the Pupil Premium supported by Action Tutoring were more likely to achieve the expected standards in their SATs than other disadvantaged pupils across the country — by eight percentage points in both maths and reading — despite being considered at risk of not reaching these standards. This year’s GCSE results showed that 61% of disadvantaged pupils passed their English and 72% of disadvantaged pupils passed maths, after attending at least 10 tutoring sessions with Action Tutoring – despite being considered at risk of not achieving a grade four when they began their tutoring and experiencing two challenging years of pandemic disruption.

Action Tutoring has been working to help narrow the academic attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their better-off peers at both primary and secondary levels – which is at its widest for ten years. Tutoring is an intervention with proven impact to help narrow the gap and give disadvantaged young people a stronger head-start in life.

This award and recognition will help us to reach new audiences and encourage more people to come forward and volunteer their time to help change the future prospects of thousands of young people across the country

Susannah Hardyman

Become a volunteer tutor with Action Tutoring and help disadvantaged children improve their academic strength and build a better future. With just one hour a week, you can volunteer to tutor pupils in English or maths at primary or secondary level, online or in-person. No previous teaching experience is required and we will provide you with all the resources you need. Visit www.actiontutoring.org.uk to become a volunteer tutor and make impact today.