Our impact since 2020
Education Fuelled by the Community
Since 2020, we’ve demonstrated that removing profit from education doesn’t compromise quality – it enhances access. While national research shows the problem worsening (Education Policy Institute, 2024), our community-funded model proves there’s another way to deliver quality educational support.
That’s the idea behind every number on this page: a young person’s education should never be limited by what they can afford, who they know, or where they’re from, and it should be delivered safely, fairly, and transparently, because in this sector, none of that is guaranteed by price.
Our university student tutors understand recent exam pressures because they’ve lived them. Every hour delivered helps fund another, creating a sustainable cycle of educational support that doesn’t depend on family income.
The problem
A Two-Tier Education System is Taking Hold
Research consistently shows that paying for private tutoring on top of a child’s standard schooling is growing increasingly popular (Cullinane & Montacute, 2023). But its use is creating a two-tier system, with wealthier families able to pay to secure their children advantages that poorer families simply cannot afford.
For almost two decades, research has highlighted the growth of private tutoring, access to which is heavily skewed towards the wealthy. New data reveals educational inequalities in England have reached their worst levels in over a decade – disadvantaged pupils are now 19.2 months behind their peers by age 16 (Education Policy Institute, 2024).
30%
Pupils who ever had private tutoring
46%
London pupils who accessed private tutoring
13%
Lowest income pupils accessing tutoring
£25+
Average private tutoring per hour
While 32% of pupils in the top income quarter receive private tutoring, only 13% in the bottom quarter can access it (Cullinane & Montacute, 2023). This isn’t just about individual advantage – it’s about whether we accept a system where educational opportunity depends on family wealth.
Our solution
Our Community Model
Founded by students who witnessed peers priced out of support, we prove there’s a better way: education as a shared community resource, not a commercial product. While research shows the problem is worsening (Education Policy Institute, 2024), our community model demonstrates the solution is already working.
- Flexible contribution – families pay our standard rate of £18 an hour, reduced or free for those who qualify through our Community Education Fund (existing families keep their current rate until their next scheduled review)
- Community funded – every paid session helps fund others through cross-subsidy
- University student tutors who understand recent exam pressures firsthand
- Surplus income reinvested into community programmes and support
- Transparent impact – we publish our finances and outcomes annually
Where your money goes
See how costs add up for families seeking tutoring support
What a family paysFunded by the community, through cross-subsidy and donations
How contribution works
A Sliding Scale, Assessed Individually
No family is ever turned away because they can’t pay. Every family’s contribution rests at or above one of the three rates below, and a real person on our team looks at every family’s circumstances individually before it’s agreed.
No family is ever turned away for being unable to pay.
This family pays nothing. The real cost of £15.07 an hour is covered entirely by the community, through donations and through families paying the standard rate (which is set slightly above cost, so everyone paying it is quietly helping fund someone else too). A real person on our team reviews every family individually. Where a few simple, private indicators already tell us what we need, we can confirm things quickly; where they don’t, we just have a conversation.
How we actually decide this
Read the full page on how we decide this.
Fund lessons directly
A One-off or Regular Gift
Every £15.07 funds one full lesson of one-to-one tutoring, the real cost, not a rounded estimate.
What families say
Voices from our community
Our tutor made an extraordinary difference to my son’s life at school, particularly in Business Studies. From the outset, they brought a warm, engaging, and highly professional approach to tutoring. They didn’t just help him understand the material, they reignited his confidence and interest in subjects he had previously struggled with.
She has been brilliant with my daughter’s maths revision for 11+ exam. She is very patient and always organised. She quickly picked up on the areas my daughter finds challenging and sorted everything out perfectly.
Our tutor is patient and kind and always manages to make lessons engaging. My son enjoys his lessons and looks forward to learning. I would highly recommend him as a tutor.
Our tutor makes learning Business Studies enjoyable and engaging. Her explanations are clear and easy to understand, and she was always patient with questions. My daughter feels much more confident now.
First lesson went really well. My son got a lot from the lesson and said he now feels confident with Chemistry questions. He’s a great tutor and lessons are easy to understand.
We’ve had several sessions and I’m really pleased. She is calm, methodical and curious. She builds confidence and checks understanding. I think she is going to really help my son.
Our tutor has been an excellent help. My son has really enjoyed his sessions and it’s made a marked improvement in his learning. He explains things very well and helped with exam techniques.
My daughter always feels confident about aspects of her lessons at school that she did not understand, before her tutoring sessions. She looks forward to her lessons and enjoys her learning here.
Having a tutor who actually gets what it’s like to be stressed about exams made such a difference. They didn’t just help with the work – they helped me believe I could actually do this.
My tutor is calm and methodical and always checks that I understand before moving on. The sessions have really built my confidence, and I finally feel like Maths is starting to make sense.
My tutor explains everything so clearly and always makes sure I understand before moving on, and never makes me feel embarrassed if I get something wrong. The lessons are genuinely enjoyable and I have gained so much confidence.
Our tutor has been working with my daughter for a few months and has done such a fantastic job that she has been moved up to the top set for Science. I cannot recommend the support enough.
Education should open doors, not close them
Research shows that while 32% of pupils from the wealthiest families access private tutoring, only 13% from the poorest families can afford it (Cullinane & Montacute, 2023). This isn’t inevitable. Education should open doors, not close them. We exist to ensure every young person can access the support they need to succeed, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
Sources
- Cullinane, C. & Montacute, R. (2023). Tutoring – The New Landscape: Recent trends in private and school-based tutoring. The Sutton Trust. Available at: https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/tutoring-2023-the-new-landscape/
- Education Policy Institute. (2024). Annual Report 2024: Disadvantage. Available at: https://epi.org.uk/publications/annual-report-2024-disadvantage/
- National Audit Office. (2023). Education recovery in schools in England. Available at: https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/education-recovery-in-schools-in-england/
- NSEMM. (2024). Impact and Financial Report 2024. Available at: nsemm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/docs/impact-report-2024.pdf
- Department for Work and Pensions. (2024). Households Below Average Income: FYE 1995 to FYE 2023. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2023