Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Accepted
Department acknowledges significant subsidy reduction and commits to monitoring tutoring impact.
Conclusion
The Department acknowledged, however, that the fall in the level of subsidy was significant and told us it had accepted the NAO’s recommendation that it should model the impact of moving from 60% to 25% in a single year.50 It also undertook to keep monitoring this area and, if there was a significant drop-off in tutoring, to look again at the whole issue of funding to see what more needed to be done.51
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's conclusion that monitoring tutoring levels and intervening if necessary is important. It confirms ongoing monitoring and is developing interventions, having already increased the 2023-24 tutoring subsidy rate from 25% to 50% to make the program more deliverable.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with Committee’s recommendation [PAC Rec 4]. Target implementation date: December 2024. The department agrees that it is important to monitor the volume of tutoring that schools are providing, which is why schools are asked to report on tutoring via the termly school census and a bespoke year-end statement. This monitors the number of pupils receiving tutoring, the number of hours delivered, and schools spend on tutoring overall. The department is developing interventions that may be deployed, as appropriate, in academic year 2023-24 or in subsequent years, should there be a significant reduction in the amount of tutoring schools provide. Furthermore, having listened to schools’ concerns over the 25% subsidy rate previously communicated, the department has set the subsidy rate for the academic year 2023-24 at 50% to make the programme more deliverable for schools. This means that schools now need to contribute less of their own money than originally planned. The department nevertheless recognises that funding can be challenging for schools. To meet their costs when providing tutoring, schools will be able to continue to use funding streams like the Pupil Premium, which will rise to almost £2.9 billion in 2023-24.