Transforming alternative provision in Surrey
Surrey County Council
The challenge
Surrey Online School (SOS) was established to address the growing issue of students unable to access full-time mainstream education in Surrey due to:
- Social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs
- Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)
- Medical reasons
- Behavioural challenges
These barriers left many students at risk of missing out on critical qualifications like GCSEs, creating an urgent need for a scalable and equitable solution to ensure every child could access the education they need and deserve.
To address this, Surrey Online School (SOS) was established through a partnership between Surrey County Council and Tute Education. Despite the progress made, the challenge persists, as the number of students unable to attend mainstream education continues to rise. This highlights the continued importance of adaptable, high-quality provision for these learners.
The solution
In 2015, Surrey County Council partnered with Tute Education to establish Surrey Online School (SOS), an innovative and high-quality alternative provision service. This partnership brings together Tute’s expertise in online education with Surrey County Council’s responsibility for student support and mentoring, ensuring that students in Surrey who are unable to attend mainstream schools can access the education they need to thrive.
One of the key benefits of Tute’s provision is its 48-hour enrolment turnaround, enabling schools and local authorities to provide immediate access to education during times of transition, exclusion, or urgent need.
Initially trialled in April 2015, the programme’s success led to a full rollout by September of the same year. Since then, the partnership has evolved, offering both short-term interventions and longer-term education support through two core curriculums:
- Tute’s Virtual School (VS)
Designed for short- to medium-term alternative provision, Tute’s Virtual School delivers a rich, engaging, and inclusive curriculum aligned to the national curriculum across key stages 1–4. With a fixed timetable, it provides structure and consistency while offering the flexibility for partners to select the lessons that best meet each student’s needs.
- Tute’s Courses
For medium- to long-term provision, Tute’s Courses provide a structured timetable of lessons tailored to students’ academic progression. At key stage 4, lessons are mapped to specific GCSE exam board specifications, ensuring students cover the full content required for their qualifications. At key stage 3, Courses offer a broad, engaging, and inclusive curriculum aligned to the national curriculum, designed to build a strong foundation for future learning.
Keira, a member of the SOS team, highlights Tute’s flexibility and responsiveness:
“The thing that is really, really, really brilliant about Tute Education is that you are really flexible and you are really responsive to making sure that the provision that you provide for us is reflective of what we need.”
She also reflects on the scalability of the partnership:
“Every year since SOS has been running, the number of students on roll across key stages has increased. And Tute Education have given us the capacity to be able to take more and more students on, which, in terms of trying to close that education gap and bring equity and education back in for those alternative provision students, has been amazing.”
The impact
Academic success
Students disengaged from traditional education now thrive academically. A key stage 4 student reflected:
“Before SOS, I didn’t go to school for weeks. Now, I enjoy getting praise and achieving positive test results, which has boosted my self-confidence and reduced my anxiety.”
Thanks to SOS, this student progressed from sporadic engagement to achieving strong attendance, excellent grades, and renewed confidence.
Closing the education gap
The combination of Tute’s Virtual School and Courses ensures all students, regardless of their circumstances, receive high-quality, inclusive education.
“Because we’ve been able to work with Tute Education to establish that provision and get that set up for the way that we need it for our students, we’ve now got key stage 4 students who are coming out of key stage 4 with qualifications, which is amazing,” says Keira.
Empowering anxious learners
For students facing high anxiety, Tute’s inclusive and safeguarded learning environment offers vital reassurance:
“Having that anonymity is really, really important for them because it enables them to access that education without having to have that worry that maybe they would have in a mainstream classroom or in a group setting.”
Building strong partnerships
A dedicated account manager ensures seamless communication and support:
“We know that we can just pick up the phone and somebody will be there to talk to us about whatever it might be. Having a dedicated person is really beneficial because they get to know our context.”
Why Tute?
The partnership between Surrey County Council and Tute Education has been transformative for students and schools across Surrey. Keira highlights several key reasons why Tute has become an integral part of their alternative provision strategy:
- Student-centric approach: Tute places students at the core of everything we do. Every decision, from lesson design to teaching strategies, prioritises what works best for the individual student. As Keira notes:
“The crux of it, and I think the biggest thing for us that we really, really appreciate, is that we get the feeling that Tute Education are really student-centred. At the end of the day, it’s about what works for the students.”
- Qualified teachers: Lessons are delivered by experienced, specialist teachers who ensure students receive consistent, high-quality education tailored to their needs.
- Fixed timetables and quick enrolment: The 48-hour enrolment turnaround ensures students can access education immediately, providing critical support during transitions or temporary circumstances.
- Flexibility and scalability: Tute adapts timetables and solutions to meet the diverse needs of students while accommodating the growing demand for alternative provision.
- Safe, accessible learning environment: Tute’s safeguarded platform and optional cameras/microphones create an environment where students, particularly those with anxiety, feel comfortable engaging in their education.
- Comprehensive teaching and learning support: Tute manages all teaching, assessments, progress tracking, and reporting, allowing SOS to focus on broader student support.
- Proven impact: Tute’s provision delivers measurable results, with students achieving higher engagement, confidence, and academic success.
“We’re getting measurable, positive results and feedback from using Tute Education, so it would be crazy not to recommend you,” says Kira.
Looking ahead
As the number of students requiring alternative provision continues to grow, SOS remains well-equipped to meet these challenges. With scalable solutions, quick enrolment, and a shared commitment to providing high-quality education, the partnership between Surrey County Council and Tute ensures that every child can access the education they need and deserve—no matter their circumstances.
