BACKGROUND
The Enhanced Learning Tutoring Initiative (ELTI) was established in 2020 by Queen Margaret University (QMU) as a response to the impact which the Covid-19 school closures were having upon disadvantaged young people living in communities local to the University.
At that time, research was beginning to show how disruption to schooling was contributing to a widening of the poverty-related attainment gap. During lockdown, disadvantaged and care experienced young people had done less schoolwork, had fewer resources at home to support their learning, and had less access to private tuition, when compared with their more privileged peers (Elliot Major et al., 2020).
MCR Pathways (2020) surveyed over 1000 of Scotland's most disadvantaged young people about their lockdown experiences. They found that 68% had done no schoolwork during lockdown.
They also found that 67% of the young people surveyed reported feeling low, anxious and stressed.
Research supports tutoring as an effective intervention to address the attainment gap (Education Endowment Fund, 2022; The Poverty Alliance, 2021).
In late 2020 QMU's Widening Participation & Outreach Team was approached to set up a high school tutoring programme to be funded by STV Children's Appeal and an East Lothian charitable trust.
As a university which is committed to social justice QMU was delighted to be given this opportunity to address educational inequalities and support local young people.