Chessbrook Education Support Centre and Tute Education
Expanding access to alternative provision in Hertfordshire
Chessbrook Education Support Centre (ESC), an Ofsted Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in southwest Hertfordshire, supports students who struggle in mainstream settings. As part of its alternative provision service, Chessbrook works with local schools and Hertfordshire County Council to create holistic, tailored education packages for students who need a different approach to learning.
Many of these students face significant barriers to education, including anxiety, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health needs), and emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA). To ensure these students could access education in a way that worked for them, Chessbrook needed a scalable, high-quality online solution.
The challenge
Engaging students who struggle in mainstream settings
Without the right alternative provision in place, many students risked further disengagement from learning - widening the gap in their education.
Chessbrook needed an innovative, flexible, and interactive solution that would:
- Engage students who struggled in a physical classroom.
- Offer a structured, high-quality learning experience tailored to individual needs.
- Ensure progress tracking to monitor engagement and achievement.
- Provide immediate access to education for students unable to attend Chessbrook in person.
- Expand curriculum opportunities, particularly for Key Stage 4 students.
Without the right alternative provision in place, many students risked further disengagement from learning - widening the gap in their education.
The solution
An accessible and engaging blended provision
“Tute provides that extra flexibility that schools need. There’s a real ease of setting it up, and the ability to change things quickly has been really beneficial for us,“ – Harry, Alternative Provision Coordinator
Since partnering with Tute in 2016, Chessbrook has embedded Tute’s live online lessons into its alternative provision, ensuring students receive immediate access to high-quality education from any location.
Through Tute’s Virtual School and bespoke private provision, Chessbrook provides students with:
✓
Daily GCSE lessons in English, maths, and science, aligned with the national curriculum.
✓
A structured, interactive learning experience, replacing passive home learning packs.
✓
Blended learning, allowing students to learn online while benefiting from in-person support.
✓
Real-time attendance monitoring and detailed progress tracking to ensure engagement.
✓
Collaboration with Tute’s science team , enabling students to take part in practical experiments in well-equipped spaces.
The impact
Re-engaging students and expanding opportunities
For many students at Chessbrook, returning to mainstream education isn’t immediately possible. Tute has provided an accessible, structured way for them to continue their education, ensuring they stay engaged with to learning.
“If we look at the bigger picture, Tute has significantly increased engagement for many students who weren’t accessing the curriculum at their schools.”
Tute’s provision has helped Chessbrook provide high-quality education to students who may otherwise struggle to access it.
- Reengagement
- Flexibility and structure
- More capacity, more students
- Positive feedback
Reengagement
Students who weren’t attending school now have a way to continue learning in a structured and supportive environment.
“The flexibility of the online lessons allows students to work from home, and the feedback we’ve had from schools has been fantastic.”
Flexibility and structure
The combination of group learning and a structured timetable gives students a sense of routine while meeting their individual needs.
“While we do facilitate one-to-one tuition, Tute allows us to support larger groups of students and provides flexibility in our arrangements.”
More capacity, more students
“Tute helps fill the gaps we can’t always address. With the number of students referred to our alternative provision programme, Tute allows us to provide education to more students, especially in English and maths, where we don’t have the capacity to support everyone.”
Positive feedback
The quality of teaching and the adaptability of the lessons have been key factors in making the provision a success.
“We have a member of staff who oversees attendance and always joins the lessons. Their feedback on the lessons, teaching, and adaptability to individual needs has been consistently positive.”
Why Tute?
A trusted partner in alternative provision
“Tute has helped us create a provision that works for students who need something different. The lessons are engaging, the teachers are fantastic, and the whole process is really easy to manage from our end.”
Chessbrook values Tute’s ability to fill the gaps that in-house provision cannot always address:
High-quality teaching
delivered by qualified, experienced teachers.
Real-time progress tracking,
giving schools full insight into engagement.
Dedicated account management,
ensuring a smooth and responsive partnership.
Quick and easy implementation,
with minimal disruption to existing provision.
Looking ahead
Continuing to fill gaps in learning
Chessbrook remains committed to providing high-quality, adaptable education for students who need alternative provision. By continuing to partner with Tute, Chessbrook ensures that every student has access to the education they deserve – no matter their circumstances.
