One Month Apart: 1:1 vs Small-Group Tuition's Budget Gap
Note sull'episodio
One-to-one tuition beats small group by one month of progress — for a much bigger slice of the budget. EEF's own Toolkit gives no ratio for whether that trade is worth it, so an intervention lead and the class teacher who actually runs the groups do the arithmetic themselves: dosage, group size, and who's delivering it turn out to matter more than the format label.
What's covered:
- The Number: +5 months (one-to-one) vs +4 months (small group) — the honest one-month gap, with no official cost-effectiveness ratio to resolve it
- - Real dosage for one-to-one: short, frequent sessions, properly trained delivery — not just the label
- - The small-group ceiling: 2–5 pupils works, effectiveness drops past 6–7
- - Try it today: check current small groups against the 2–5 range and split any that have crept past six
Actions for consideration:
- Check current small groups against the 2–5 pupil range and split any that have crept past six.
- - Before committing next term's tuition budget, confirm one-to-one sessions actually run at the real dosage — short, frequent, properly trained — not just the label.
- - Don't assume "one-to-one" alone guarantees the plus-five months; check delivery against the Toolkit's own optimum first.
- - Be ready to justify the one-to-one vs small-group budget split by dosage and delivery, not format alone, if asked.
Printable one-pager for this episode, free: https://theeducationcommute.co.uk/#newsletter-staff
Two free newsletters, one for staff and one for parents and carers, same evidence written for the person reading it.Sources:
- EEF Teaching & Learning Toolkit — One to one tuition: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/one-to-one-tuition
- - EEF Teaching & Learning Toolkit — Small group tuition: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/small-group-tuition
Disclosure: Both voices on this show are synthesised (NotebookLM, Google); the research, reading and editorial judgement are done by a serving practitioner.
Strand: Teachers