Reflecting on research undertaken with 17 different settings utilising Tute’s provision nationwide, we explored the perspectives of school leaders, staff and students engaging with online provision to meet their needs for alternative education provision.  

Our participants described factors such as an increased numbers of permanent exclusions, a lack of specialist provisions, being both physically and financially under resourced to cope with students’ needs, the long term impacts of covid, increased waiting times for SEND treatment, diagnosis or classification and CAHMS waiting lists as some of the many factors contributing to a surge in demand within their settings. 

We were also able to examine how these settings have been able to utilise Tute’s services innovatively to manage the swell in their numbers, prevent staff burn out, create more nurturing, supporting environments to better meet students’ needs and to make the most of the resources at their disposal.  

Sharing the evidence of Tute’s enormous impact for students otherwise unable to access high quality, high impact education and demonstrating the fantastic outcomes for our students in need of alternative provision was so exciting and we thank all who took part in our research. More info can be found on our AEP webinar series. 

The Tute team were also able to benefit from the huge range of festival sessions on offer too; building equity, great teaching, rethinking assessment, enhancing teacher CPD, AI in education, SEND, social mobility and many more.  All of which will inspire our teaching team in the next academic year and beyond.