Volunteer teachers in North East England & Yorkshire sought to help care-experienced pupils beat the odds

As GCSE results day approaches on Thursday 21st August, a growing network of schools and teachers is proving that care-experienced young people can defy the odds with the right support.

Lumina Tutoring is committed to closing the national attainment gap and ensuring that young people, regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to thrive.  The programme is calling for teachers based in North East England & Yorkshire to commit to just 45-minutes a week to support children in care with consistent and high-quality tutoring to help them succeed academically – and beyond.

Care-experienced children face some of the steepest educational challenges in the UK. Only around 1 in 8 achieve a Grade 5 or above in English and Maths at GCSE, compared to 65% of all pupils nationally. Lumina Tutoring is seeking to change that story with the backing of a growing network of teachers and schools across the country.

“Teachers know how powerful the right support can be. When someone shows up every week to bring much-needed stability, who believes in you and knows how to help you learn despite your personal circumstances, it changes everything.” said Gitanjali Bhattacharya, director of Lumina Tutoring.

Hundreds of young people have already benefited from personalised support via Lumina. For those who participate, it is leading to improved grades, stronger engagement, and a renewed sense of confidence.

As one participating school leader put it: “In 15 years of teaching, these are the most impactful lessons that I have done. I have now tutored many different students and all have made extraordinary progress – three of my students went from failing Maths GCSE to passing and being allowed to go to the College of their choice.”

With thousands of young people across the nation preparing to find out their GCSE results, the programme is looking ahead in anticipation of those who don’t make the desired grades – and asking for more teachers to get involved in preparation for November’s resits. 

“45-minutes a week can make a life-changing difference,” said Gitanjali. “If you're a qualified teacher and want to use your skills to support a young person who needs it most, we’d love to hear from you.”

For further information, https://lumina.org.uk/