Sixth Form Enrichment model

"Whilst helping others get their grades through the Team Up programme, I feel that as a sixth form volunteer, I have gained experience that will help me in higher education and my later career. I only hope more children will be able to receive the great support that Team Up facilitates: by students, for students."

Che Applewhaite – previous sixth form tutor and now studying at Harvard University, USA

Overview

Team Up run a voluntary leadership programme that trains exceptional role models to learn leadership and teaching skills through tutoring young people from low-income backgrounds. Alongside this, role models use our networks to strengthen their own future prospects. 

Through the programme, your students will have the opportunity to take part in the following activities:

           

 

The Commitment

Participants:

• Take part in the programme alongside their studies
• Choose the location of their placement
• Choose their preferred programme stream:
  • Team Up programme: 1 term
  • Senior Tutor programme: 2 terms
  • Outstanding Tutor programme: 3 terms
• Attend the compulsory aspects of the programme:
  • Induction and safeguarding training
  • Tuition sessions
• Choose the optional aspects they would like to take part in based on what would most benefit them over the programme

The Team Up Curriculum

Over the programme, participants develop the following competencies vital to progression in higher education and working life:

           

The Support Provided

Team Up is committed to giving sixth formers all the tools and support they need to thrive on our programme.  This includes the following:

• Full induction, safeguarding training, and the provision of detailed lesson plans and resources
• Ongoing coaching, training and support from an experienced teacher who will be assigned to support them over the course of the programme
• Lesson observations alongside personalised developmental feedback
• A mixture of learning environments including 1:1’s, small group action learning and large scale training events and lectures

Why choose the Team Up Enrichment Programme

The Team Up Enrichment Programme provides a one stop shop for sixth form students to stand out when it comes to applying for a place at university or for a job.  Through their participation, students will be stand out from the crowd by:

Demonstrating the right attitude: students will have clear examples to demonstrate the sort of responsibility, reliability and outcomes that admissions departments and employers will look for.  This will be backed up by the reference they will receive from their Programme Manager, and enhanced by the mentor from a career sector of interest or university who they can work with over the course of the programme[1].  Throughout the year there will also be opportunities for further work experience in the Team Up office.

Evidencing leadership skills: students will learn leadership skills, put these into practice by inspiring a small group of pupils, and leave with concrete examples of how they have applied their skills to work towards outcomes.

Evidencing interest in the subject area: university admissions departments want students to evidence a passion for the subject they will be studying.  Through tutoring English or Maths, students can evidence interest in a subject at the core of anything they will go onto study at university.

Being recognised for their achievements: students that take part in the programme can work towards an SSAT[2] accredited Student Leadership award.  They can also commit to working towards the Outstanding Tutor award, that will see them listed on the Team Up website awards page.

Building networks: students will form teams with people from a range of other backgrounds including university students and professionals.  Through this they’ll develop their ability to mix with and learn from others. 

"Team Up has not only provided me with leadership skills as well as increased confidence, but has also provided me with an amazing reference for job interviews. Team Up is such a rewarding experience, and enlightening and encouraging young children to be the best they can be is an amazing opportunity that I believe everyone should take part in."

Alanna Burton - previous sixth form tutor

Making a difference

Our sixth form students make a difference to the pupils they work with.  At the schools where our tuition was delivered with a majority of sixth formers as tutors, pupils improved on average by 0.6 grades over one term – double the national expected rate of progress for pupils, and in line with the rates of improvement achieved where the majority of tutors were university students or professionals.  Sixth formers also have the advantage of being proximate in age to those they tutor, and as a result:

• Pupils often find them easy to relate to, building high levels of engagement in the programme
• Tutors have a fresh and good understanding of the curriculum being studied by the pupils, enabling their tuition to be relevant and tailored

"I think Team Up was a great programme because it brings tutors and pupils, who wouldn’t normally know or work with one another, together in a way that means both sides can learn."

Josie Tindale - previous sixth form tutor

Case Study: Edmonton County

In Spring 2017 a trial was run at Edmonton County School in which every tutor participating was a Sixth Form student at the associated college. The programme was hugely successful, raising 92% of pupil’s grades by one boundary and 31% of grades by 2 boundaries. Overall, grades were raised by an average of 1.3 grade boundaries, demonstrating the efficacy Sixth Form tutors can have.

For more information on the Sixth Form Enrichment Programme, please see our handbook here.

 

How to access the programme

Connecting with your students

Team Up can offer a range of methods to help you get the word out to your students:

• Presentation – Team Up can deliver a presentation or assembly to your students
• Open days or enrichment fairs – Team Up can run a stall at your open day or enrichment fair
• Posters – Team Up can provide posters for you to advertise the opportunity
• Email templates – Team Up can provide email templates to help you share the opportunity with colleagues

To discuss with our volunteer manager how we can best help connect with your students, contact Nicole on:

E: nicole.kairinos@teamup.org.uk

Entry requirements

Students need to be on track to achieve at least a B at A-Level in a relevant subject to the one they want to tutor in, and must have achieved at least a B in the subject at GCSE.  The screening process involves applicants passing the following steps:

1. Application form
2. Interview including mock teaching activity

For many students the application process is a valuable learning experience in and of itself. 

"Five of our year 12 students look part in the Team Up 6th form Enrichment programme.  It was clear that the pupils participating really enjoyed being tutored by the 6th formers and the students built up great relationships that cascaded outside of the tuition into the school day.  It was great for the younger pupils to have the 6th formers as role models.  The 6th formers grew in their confidence, skills and many of them commented how the programme had helped them achieve more in their own studies and feel more equipped to secure the future they wanted. A highlight were the trips to university campus lectures where our students got an invaluable taste of university life.  As a result of the programme, our students will have UCAS applications that stand out from the crowd." 

Emma Watts, Assistant Head, St Mary’s CE High School

 

[1] All participants are guaranteed a mentor and matched with the closest career sector of interest depending on mentor availability at the time.

[2] The Schools Students and Teachers Network