England tutor scheme closing tuition gap between rich and poor, data shows

Under the national tutoring programme the government funds 60% of the cost of tutoring, but later this year the subsidy will be cut to 25% with schools paying the rest. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The tuition gap between rich and poor families in England has almost disappeared thanks to the government’s pandemic recovery programme, but funding cuts threaten to widen it once more, according to a new report.

The Sutton Trust disclosed that the government’s national tutoring programme (NTP), which targeted extra help for disadvantaged pupils through their schools, has almost eradicated the gap in access to tuition enjoyed by wealthier families.