Academic Mentors

Academic Mentors undergo intensive training before being placed in a school. They are salaried members of staff that will work alongside existing school staff to provide one-to-one and small-group, subject-specific tuition.

Academic Mentors are available through the National Tutoring Programme and form 1 of 3 subsidised tutoring options. The National Tutoring Programme supports pupils from year 1 to 11, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to catch up on missed education due to COVID-19.

Apply for an Academic Mentor

School eligibility criteria

State-funded schools and academy trusts in one of the qualifying local authority districts prioritised for raising school standards can apply for an Academic Mentor and receive funding to subsidise the cost.

Schools can determine whether their local authority district qualifies by consulting the English indices of deprivation 2019 and following these steps:

Go to file 10 – ‘local authority district summaries’
Click on the tab – ‘IDACI’
Find the correct local authority district in Column B
Identify the ‘IDACI – Rank of average rank’ in Column D
If the figure displayed is 159 or below, this means schools in that local authority district are eligible for Academic Mentor support

Schools not based in a qualifying area

Schools or academy trusts that are not based in a qualifying area but have 20% or more of their pupils eligible for pupil premium can also apply for Academic Mentor support.

Schools that do not meet the criteria may still be eligible if they have experienced the following disruption as a direct result of COVID-19:

repeated or prolonged school closures
high student absenteeism
sustained and high rate of teacher absences

To apply for an Academic Mentor on the basis of disruption as a direct result of COVID-19, please register with the National Tutoring Programme Tuition Hub. Your case will be assessed by a member of our delivery partner’s engagement team.

Contact us via email at [email protected] for further information.

Funding

The subsidy rate for the 2021 to 2022 academic year will be 95%.

The remaining costs will be funded by using, for example, the recovery premium or pupil premium.

Academic Mentor eligibility criteria (for applicants)

The Academic Mentor role is perfect for recent graduates, school leavers taking a gap year, or those considering a career in teaching or education.

To apply to become an Academic Mentor, you must have the following qualifications:

3 A-levels at A*-C grade (or equivalent)
Grade 4 (Grade C) or above in GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)

Benefits of the role include:

training designed to support you in the role
expert online training with Liverpool Hope University
a route into teaching and education
£19,000 salary (or £21,000 if you have a university degree), including paid holidays
ongoing continuing professional development and an excellent aftercare programme
scheduled time with you and your school for onboard support
peer support groups and mental health and well-being
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