Our Podcast

Bramble #2: The Largest Ever Study into Online Tutoring, Explored

"You've taken us, as a profession, to another level."

The scale and detail with which Bramble conducted their recent survey into online tutoring is quite incredible. The report on the survey was published recently (you can find it here) but this is the first time they have been able to discuss and explore it in a collaborative environment - Qualified Tutor is delighted to be part of such an important step in this industry's development.

As lockdown takes over the education sector once more, we must all learn the lessons from this spring and ensure that no student is left behind. The National Tutoring Programme is going a long way to achieving this but we have to maintain that classroom experience and consistency for all students, including in their online learning.

FEATURED PODCAST: Interview with Matthew Hood: Principal of Oak National Academy

20 million lessons delivered, 15 million hours of video already created and published ... and we're heading into a second lockdown.

The Oak National Academy was created in spring 2020 to seamlessly deliver virtual lessons as if school had never been disrupted. They have achieved this aim and much, much more - teachers have noted a hugely reduced workload and a markedly improved quality in teaching and learning for students and teachers.

Matt's background as a classroom teacher, coupled with his unique ability to bring people together, has allowed the Academy to flourish and the platform has endless possible opportunities for growth, from recorded sessions, to SEND specialisms to bearing some of the burden of oversized classrooms and students who don't suit the classroom model.

In this fast-paced and hugely informative episode, we speak to Matthew Hood, the Academy's Principal, about his hopes for the future and how classroom teaching may have already changed forever.

Featured Podcast: TutorCruncher: Facilitating Tutors and Agencies to Take Charge of their Own Service

Here at Qualified Tutor, we are constantly striving to make tutors aware that their job is a professional role.

Too often, tutors are undervalued and underrepresented, seen as a bit-part role that does not carry a professional standard to it.

The team at TutorCruncher share this same vision. Their business management platform for tutors and agencies allows all parties, tutor, agency and client, to benefit from the efficiency and time-saving automation that the software provides.

Bringing together reports, billing, payments, analytics, teaching tools, website integration and more, this all-encompassing approach allows tutors and agencies to spend more time on doing what they love: improving outcomes for students.

Founded in 2013, the platform continues to take on new clients quickly, being used by many of the industry's biggest and most successful tutors and agencies. Listen in to find out more about the insights from their recent anonymised survey into the use of the platform in the UK and US.

“Companies that we see doing very well are those who take an active role in their client-tutor approach”

The Power of Thunking: How We Can Stop Students Settling for ‘I Don’t Know’

We continue the theme this week of hearing from true experts in the field of education.

Ian Gilbert has been one of the foremost leaders internationally in the field of curriculum change and advocating for a system in which students think and learn for themselves.

Founder of Independent Thinking, a platform that serves the most innovative and creative minds in education, Ian's works cover a range of topics, aimed at students themselves, those involved in the teaching of students and everyone in between.

This roundtable discussion, alongside Qualified Tutor's Founder, Julia Silver, and Lead Facilitator, Adrian Conway, brings out the most important and most topical conversations at this time, with a real focus on challenging the norms in education and how we must alter the way students view their education.

“If your thoughts count, you count.”

In Conversation with ... Qualified Tutor Tier 1 Graduates #6

There is so much to learn from those who've taken part themselves.

Our flagship course, the Qualification for Tutors, continues to grow thanks to the contributions and feedback of our motivated and enthusiastic participants.

There has never been a better time to get into tutoring - Qualified Tutor allows you to build your business alongside industry experts and tutors just like you.

Hear from those in the know about what impact the course had on their confidence and ability and why every tutor should be striving to seek out training and level up.

QUALIFIED TUTOR AND BRAMBLE #1: THE POWER OF ONLINE TUTORING

Bramble are a force to be reckoned with.

With over half a million hours of online tutoring completed on Bramble by some of the world's leading tutoring organisations, Bramble possesses the scale and expertise to revolutionise online tutoring forever.

Every single session is recorded and then made available for both student and tutor, and with AI-driven transcription of every piece of content covered and the Smart Search tool, nothing is missed and everything can be reviewed for revision, for safety and for quality assurance and self-assessment.

And if that wasn't enough, Bramble conducted the UK's largest ever online tutoring survey this summer - the insights are fascinating and reveal an unexpected attitude amongst tutors and students.

This new podcast series will bring together Qualified Tutor, providers of high-quality tutor training, and Bramble, the leaders in online tutoring, to pull together two of the most important aspects in tutoring at this time. Tutors and agencies across the board are beginning to realise that training is an essential piece in the puzzle, and no tutor can do their job effectively in this climate without the skills in and knowledge of the online learning environment.

FEATURED PODCAST: HIGH CHALLENGE, LOW THREAT: HOW TUTORS & TEACHERS CAN MAXIMISE STUDENTS’ LEARNING - AN INTERVIEW WITH MARY MYATT

Mary Myatt has changed the way we think about schools and our approach to developing children, both academically and cognitively.

Mary has produced an extraordinary range and wealth of literature on the subject, and it informs and inspires us in every part of the QT course and our vision for how to improve students' ambitions and success. 

The QT Podcast itself is changing the way tutors level up their service, hosting interviews and roundtables with many of the sector's leading voices - this is tutor training while pottering around your kitchen or going out for a jog...

• To discover more about Mary's commitment to removing 'redundant principles' in schools, do check out her new book, Back on Track: Fewer things, greater depth.

• To explore Mary's research on how we can refine the school curriculum, check out her book: The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to coherence.

• For further discussion on the 'how' and, importantly, the 'why' of what we do, and how it can inspire change, Mary has a book for that too: Hopeful Schools.

“If I were to wave a magic wand, I would ensure that every professional involved in children’s learning had access to the high-quality evidence from the cognitive science that really makes a difference”

IN CONVERSATION WITH ... QUALIFIED TUTOR TIER 1 GRADUATES #5

This course is powered by the participants.

The richness and depth of discussion that we see week after week, breakout after breakout, is such a powerful force for us tutors. It's not often that we get to witness, let alone be part of, a group of such motivated and enthusiastic tutors gathered in one place, sharing knowledge and understanding from their experience.

We know that the Qualified Tutor Community provides the 250-strong group with daily support, advice and a space to meet and connect with other tutors, but it's never more rewarding than hearing it from the tutors themselves.

The most recently graduated QTs who joined us in this cohort were:

Aatteeqa Karim
Ashley Hsu
Charlotte Eastwood
Edward Cooper
Irene Bird
Leona Potter
Manasvini Moni
Nada Baessa
Pavlina Kruzikova
Riani Kenyon
Robert Ward
Sophie Mosselmans
Victoria Campbell

INTERVIEW WITH DAME ALISON PEACOCK, CEO OF THE CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING

Our growing relationship with The Chartered College of Teaching takes its next steps here, as the QT team chats to Dame Alison Peacock about how experience of working with tutors and how Learning without Limits is really at the core of what teachers and tutors alike should be aspiring towards.

Dame Alison has over 30 years of experience in the field and joins QT here at a time when tutoring is right on the cusp of taking a central role in the education system.

We support and inspire a large number of motivated tutors and this conversation represents a new level of expertise and advice that we are both extremely proud of and grateful for.

“I would like all schools to be places where there’s no limit on what you can achieve”

SMALL GROUP TUITION, AN EXPERT Q&A SESSION WITH QUALIFIED TUTOR

No two episodes are the same.

Moving away from our interview- and roundtable-style episodes, this week, we chat to our inspiring Community members and tutoring friends we've met along the way who discuss with us several key topics currently most prevalent in the field of tutoring.

How do we maintain engagement over the online learning space? Many of us have watched slick how-to videos or read eloquent blog articles on the matter, but there's no substitute for collaborative learning and live discussion. In this Q&A session, we pose our participants some (admittedly) tricky questions and respond in-depth to subsequent queries and questions.

Qualified Tutor has always been a hive of topical discussion, placing itself at the cutting edge of pedagogical research and the rapidly-evolving nature of tutoring in this country, and beyond. 

If you want to have your voice heard and participate in engaging discussion while meeting other, like-minded tutors, visit www.qualifiedtutorcommunity.org and join the conversation today.

PS. Catch the welcome video by Dame Alison Peacock, CEO of The Chartered College of Teaching, which introduces the College’s relationship with Qualified Tutor.

PODCAST WITH NEWLY-QUALIFIED QUALIFIED TUTOR ALUMNI #4

Each cohort we take through this course builds on the last. It is truly inspiring to see the participants share and grow over the course of the 4 weeks, from safeguarding for tutors to discussions around SEND, mental health and wellbeing in the final session.

This fantastic cohort of qualified tutors, amongst which were several Sutton Trust alumni, retired teachers and a chef(!), was our first cohort in which we worked with tutors from independent agencies. This natural collaboration allowed our tutors to learn quickly and easily from one another, and it was proof that combining multiple agencies within a single cohort was a valuable decision.

The tutors who joined us in this cohort were:

Dolan Heaney
Richard Ashelford
Joe McKinney
Lucy Irving
Tanu Chaturbedi
Georgina Laye
Daniel Dipper
Zainab Alshubbar
Saidu Kamara
Iqra Butt
Tom Seddon
Kathryn Rouse
Nazia Ismail
Wendy Onslow
Kumudini Amaradasa
Seeja Manojkumar
Lakshmi Kulkarni
Kavya Bose
Dena Moussa
Amanda Cremona
Carole Shaw

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON HOW AGENCIES & SCHOOLS CAN BEST WORK TOGETHER

In a time when tutors and teachers, schools and agencies will come together, we bring you a conversation as topical as any.

Our guests in this episode speak from years of experience in the fields of tutoring and teaching which, as this discussion goes some way to proving, are not worlds apart.

Johnny Manning, Founder of Manning's Tutors, is a specialist in working with schools and has, for over 10 years now, been working with Amy Welch, Headteacher at Lambeth Academy in South London. Joining us as well is Tom Seddon, a class teacher and Science Lead at an inner-city primary school in West Yorkshire.

With the National Tutoring Programme highlighting the importance of tutoring partnerships with schools, Qualified Tutor is committed to using the knowledge and deep connections formed to bring guidance, advice and discussion to the wide range of individuals, schools and companies working to make the NTP a success.

THE MAGIC OF TUTORING: HOW TO BRING YOUR STUDENT'S LEARNING ALIVE

Neil Cowmeadow knows a thing or two about tutoring.

Having worked in the consultancy industry, Neil found that teaching people gave him the greatest joy in life. Today, he has a long waiting list of future students and smiles most broadly when he's jamming along with a student.

Neil is a specialist guitar tutor and inspires all students he works with to enjoy their own music. While other music tutors and teachers have struggled with the move to online tuition, Neil has thrived.

Neil is also the producer and host of his own podcast, The Tutor Podcast - it's one of our very favourites and, having run for over two and a half years now, there is something there for tutors of all kinds. Go have a listen

“THERE ARE NO MISTAKES IN MUSIC, JUST NOTES YOU WANT AND NOTES YOU DON’T WANT”

AN INSPIRATIONAL TEACH FIRST TEACHER ON THE POWER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TUTORS

Eli Baigel understands the obstacles and barriers that lockdown has imposed on education.

As a Teach First teacher in his first year, he has perhaps undergone one of the most complex and arduous introductions to the already-demanding world of education for many years, possibly ever.

Working alongside this as a tutor, Eli has witnessed first-hand how students and educators have had to rework all skills and techniques they had taken for granted.

“STUDENT WELLBEING IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PREREQUISITE TO STUDENT LEARNING”

PODCAST WITH NEWLY-QUALIFIED QUALIFIED TUTOR ALUMNI

After another incredible 4 weeks brimming with discussion, learning and connection, we have come to the end of our 4th Qualification for Tutors Tier 1 cohort.

We are immensely proud of our newly qualified Tier 1 tutors - they brought the course alive and added great value and new perspectives to the content that we delivered:

Josh Elwell: Maths tutor and Maths and Statistics undergraduate student
Lee Silve: Maths tutor and Editor in educational publishing
Jessie Pitsillides: Founder of the student mentoring programme, Mentor Jr
Catherine Griffin: experienced piano and music teacher
Adem Hursit: current Mathematics PhD student and long-time Maths tutor
Alethea Norman-Rhodes: TEFL teacher and History of Art BA Graduate, University of Leeds
Enrico Green: current BSc in Biology student at the University of Exeter

ONLINE TUTORING AND HOW BEST TO MAKE EFFECTIVE USE OF THE SUMMER BREAK, WITH GREEN TUTORS FOUNDER, GEORGINA GREEN

As the first murmurings of face-to-face tutoring emerge, after 4 months of exclusively virtual learning, it has become clear that online tutoring is here to stay. The jumps in EdTech that have been made will not simply disappear, rather online learning has established itself as part of the teaching and learning landscape for good.

Qualified Tutor brings Georgina Green, Founder of Green Tutors and several buzzing online teacher and tutor networks, to the QT Podcast to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date explanation of the speed at which online tutoring is moving and how tutors can stay on top of their skills and the wider knowledge they need to provide continuously high-quality support and advice for students.

Qualified Tutor provide support, expertise and tutor training in light of the newly-announced National Tutoring Programme and, as the leading voice for such a programme, this is a coming together of experts in a crucial time for tutoring and education in Britain.

“STUDENTS SHOULD, AT THE BARE MINIMUM, BE TRYING TO READ AS REGULARLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THAT HELPS TO KEEP THE BRAIN ACTIVE”

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TUTORING: THE WHY AND THE HOW, WITH MARTIN ROWE, HEAD OF OPERATIONS AT THE CPD CERTIFICATION SERVICE

Continuing Professional Development is an important and widespread fixture of the education sector. 

And yet, it is not a widely available option for tutors.

Martin understands the significance of bringing this crucial facet of training to the world of tutoring. Over the course of the conversation, we explore why continuous training is such an essential part of a tutor's service and how a lack of commitment to ongoing personal and professional development suggests a lack of care.

In a crowded space, training is a differentiator. This could not be more true than in the domain of tutoring where individual tutors, agencies and education charities compete for the finite pool of students and learners. Those who commit to improving their practice everyday will be those that shine through.

Qualified Tutor provide support, expertise and tutor training in light of the newly-announced National Tutoring Programme and, as the leading voice for such a programme, this is a coming together of experts in a crucial time for tutoring and education in Britain.

“TRAINING DIFFERENTIATES PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING PLACES FROM THOSE WHO AREN’T”

HOW THE TUTORS' ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS TUTORS WITH JOHN NICHOLS, PRESIDENT OF TTA

John Nichols, President of The Tutors' Association, joined us to discuss how TTA are supporting and serving tutors in this tricky time.

TTA is the largest tutors' membership body in Britain and, as such, play a crucial role in fostering and building relationships between individual tutors, tuition providers and policy-makers.

With the National Tutoring Programme at the forefront of tutoring and education today, Qualified Tutor and TTA come together to provide up-to-date advice and support to tutors looking to get involved in the programme.

Qualified Tutor provide support, expertise and tutor training in light of the newly-announced National Tutoring Programme and, as the leading voice for such a programme, this is a coming together of experts in a crucial time for tutoring and education in Britain.

“Sticking to a plan is the worst possible thing to do as a tutor ... it scraps half the advantage of being one-to-one.”

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH LEE ELLIOT MAJOR, PIONEER OF THE NATIONAL TUTORING PROGRAMME, AND QUALIFIED TUTOR, LEADERS IN TUTOR TRAINING.

Qualified Tutor and Lee Elliot Major come together to discuss many of the current issues in the educational landscape, as well as the fundamentals of empowering students to become independent learners.

Lee is a keynote speaker, published author (we are avid fans of "What Works") and columnist who’s been spearheading the movement to address this country’s low social mobility and unequal education landscape.

Lee has also formerly been Chief Executive of The Sutton Trust (with whom we are working closely to provide tutor training & support) and is the Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter - importantly, this is the first position of its kind in the field of social mobility making Lee a true pioneer and a leading voice in this area.

Qualified Tutor provide support, expertise and tutor training in light of the newly-announced National Tutoring Programme and, as the leading voice for such a programme, this is a coming together of experts in a crucial time for tutoring and education in Britain.

PODCAST WITH QUALIFIED TUTOR ALUMNI