Company no. 08595641 Charity no. 1176968
## **Tutors United**
# **Report and Unaudited Financial Statements**
**31 July 2025**
Iiij!
UTORS
N l T E
t,• Impact
Report
2024-25
## **Contents**
**3** Introduction from our CEO and Chair **4** 2024-25 Report Card **5** What we do **6** 2024-25 highlights **7** Where we worked **8** Who we served **9** Celebrating our 2028 strategy **11** TU in Lewisham **13** Embracing corporate social value **14** Inspiring future engineers **15** Our first Liverpool hub **16** Growing our North West team **17** STEAM Ahead
**19** Our core curriculum **20** Maths progress **21** English progress **22** Attainment by different groups **23** Pupil spotlight **24** Building a legacy of learning **25** Bridging the gap between school and home **26** Our tutors **27** Developing tutor employability **28** Tutor employer partnerships **29** Equity at Tutors United **30** Financial review **31** Our partners in 2024-25
**2**
## **Introduction from our CEO and Chair**
## **Amy Whitelock Gibbs and Laura Wilson**
This year, we reached over 800 young people, launched our 2028 strategy for growth, expanded into Liverpool, piloted innovative programmes, and embraced new partnerships. Like all charities, we faced setbacks and financial challenges, but we couldn’t be prouder of how our small but mighty team stepped up to find creative solutions, support each other, and continue delivering high-quality, impactful, and inclusive work to achieve our mission.
In year one of our 2028 strategy, we set out to consolidate our delivery and strengthen our foundations, to maximise the ingredients for growth and combat blockers – such as stretched staff capacity and overly manual processes. We’ve put more resource into our North West team to match our Liverpool growth ambitions, while investing in tech transformation and systems upgrades to improve workloads, efficiency, and engagement with beneficiaries.
Our Strategy Celebration, generously hosted by the Leathersellers’ Company, was a real highlight. Surrounded by friends, funders, and families, we reflected on our journey and spotlighted how collaborative partnerships across our sectors are critical to future success and sustainability, given the challenging economic climate we all face.
We also prioritised embedding anti-racism and equity even more strongly within our leadership and frontline practice – reinforced by tutor training on neurodiversity and an antiracism development programme for the Board and team. Next year, we’ll drive this work forward with a team equity squad, including creating a meaningful, robust youth voice mechanism to shape our work and hold us to account.
We’re grateful to all the pioneering housing associations, councils, livery companies, and corporate partners, alongside trusts and foundations – who believe in our vision, share our values, and fund our work – as well as our amazing school and community partners, who allow us to have a deep impact in the communities we serve.
Hitting all our strategic goals in year one, we ran 62 tuition hubs and saw outstanding pupil progress in both attainment and confidence. Looking to 2026-27, we feel optimistic but uncertain, with the financial pressures everyone is facing. We’re hopeful that together, we can weather the storms!
**3**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
108 £62,806
young people hired, wages paid
Report Card
2024-25 trained, and paid as tutors to tutors and
and classroom assistants classroom assistants
3,288 81% 93% 1.1 sub-levels
hours of of parents/carers agreed of parents/carers noticed average progress
tutoring an increase in their child's in English after
TU supported their child’s
delivered transition to Year 7 confidence in learning 694 12 hours of tutoring
primary school
?% 62 ? 87% pupils 155%
returning pupils total creative writing of pupils felt tutored average progress
eligible from the tuition hubs competition more confident in in Maths after
previous academic yeardelivered submissions Maths and/or English 12 hours of tutoring
**----- End of picture text -----**
**4**
## **What we do**
Founded in 2013, Tutors United is an award-winning national charity that uses **the power of tutoring to support young people’s attainment, confidence, and skills at two key transition points: from primary to secondary school, and from university to employment.**
Working primarily with housing associations, alongside local and corporate partners, we deliver community-based tutoring programmes **across London, the Midlands, and the North West to primary school children from low-income, migrant, and refugee backgrounds** , providing access to vital educational support to those who need it most.
**We hire, train, and pay diverse university students** – most of whom also come from low-income households – as tutors, providing them with meaningful, paid work experience, underpinned by academic and professional development. We also recruit 16-18 year-olds as classroom assistants, building their skills and supporting our tutors.
**Our work ensures children transition to secondary school literate and numerate** with a strong foundation of soft skills and ongoing family support to boost long-term success. **We equip parents and carers** with functional skills to maximise both their children’s and their own education and employment prospects – **building the bridge between school and home in communities from Liverpool to Lewisham.**
**Hire, train, and pay university students as tutors to deliver our programme**
**National curriculum-aligned Maths and English lessons for primary school pupils Ongoing engagement with parents and carers to encourage learning at home**
**Bespoke training and development for our tutors to boost their skills and careers 5**
## **2024-25 highlights**
## **Tech transformation**
Working with innovative startup OneHive, we developed a new classroom management system to enhance how tutors, parents, and carers access progra ~~mme resources and to unlock growth through~~ greater automation and efficiency across our delivery team.
## **Building our team**
~~We tripled our North West team (p. 16) to advanc~~ e delivery and partnerships in Liverpool, and welcomed Racheal Olaitan in London to support our systems upgrade – taking our small but mighty team to 14!
## **Strengthening English Progress Assessment**
## **STEAM Ahead programme pilot**
Working with youth charity KORI, we delivered a new transition programme (p. 17-18), offering children in Years 5-7 a week-long programme of STEM and arts-based learning to reinforce literacy and numeracy, youth-worker led wellbeing sessions, and fun extracurricular activities.
We conducted an in-depth review of our English Mark Scheme to align with the latest national curriculum benchmarks and offer greater insight into pupils’ writing skills. Representing a collaborative effort between trained teachers, our tutors, and our team, this new framework will greatly improve how we assess and communicate pupil progress.
## **Social value return on investment (SVROI)**
## **Growing work in Liverpool**
In addition to our first face-to-face hub in Speke (p. 15), we partnered with Liverpool Learning Part ~~nership to deliver two school-based hubs in~~ Wavertree and Aintree – the first step in our strategic goal to expand across Liverpool City Region by 2028.
We worked with a charity finance specialist to calculate our social value return on investment, drawing on our robust impact data and national government statistics. We are thrilled to announce that for every £1 spent on our tutoring programmes, we produce £9.28 in economic and fiscal benefits, bringing our total value to society in 2023-24 to at least £5,299,710.
**6**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Camden Islington
Waltham
Forest
Barnet
Hackney
Nottingham
Brent
Leicestershire
Tower
Hamlets Liverpool
Ealing Northamptonshire
Hertfordshire
L ewisham Birmi ngham
Essex
Worcester
Merton
B romley
Buckinghamshire London
Lambeth
Devo n Berkshire Surrey
Map of Map of
London England
Where we 33 29 46 16 62
face-to-face online London out-of-London total
hubs hubs hubs hubs hubs
worked
**----- End of picture text -----**
**7**
## **Who we served**
Black or Black British Asian or Asian British White Mixed Other Ethnic Group Prefer Not To Say 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% **Our communities**
## **84%**
**household income below £35,000 74% families on means-tested benefits 76% pupils eligible for free school meals 51% from single-parent households**
**30% speak English as an additional language 24% have a recent migrant background**
**8**
**2028 Goals**
## **Celebrating our 2028 strategy**
The Leathersellers’ Company generously hosted our Strategy Celebration at their beautiful hall in June 2025. Expertly compèred by our Chair, Laura Wilson, the night opened with a joint speech from our Founder Joel Buchanan and CEO Amy Whitelock Gibbs, charting TU’s past and future. Leading Leathersellers’ Member Serena Cheng KC delivered an incredible keynote speech on her personal journey in Lewisham and the vital role of education for low-income, migrant communities.
With the need for our work higher than ever, while the financial climate places unprecedented pressures on charities and our partners, we developed our new 4-year strategy for growth. By 2028, we will:
**Grow** to reach more young people than ever before, deepening our work in London and broadening into targeted core areas **Sustain** the quality and impact of our programmes as we grow **Diversify** our funding and partnerships to drive sustainable multi-year delivery and boost the tutor career development offer **Evolve** our core model to maximise the transition from Year 6 to 7 and from education to employment **Strengthen** TU to be a more inclusive and efficient organisation, where all staff can thrive and wellbeing is prized
**But it was young people who stole the show!** Tutors Aisosa Okunhon-Uduebor, Romaisa Aftab, Tarun Ramphul, and classroom assistant, Jayden, beautifully shared their life-changing experiences of working with TU. We rounded off the evening with superstar pupils Mariam and Iman reciting creative stories they wrote on the programme.
**1,000 primary school pupils tutored**
**1,000**
**parents and carers supported**
**1/3**
**total hubs delivered outside of London**
**160**
**young people hired as tutors and classroom assistants**
**9**
**Jayden’s TU journey From star pupil to brilliant classroom assistant**
Jayden joined Tutors United as a pupil at Clapham Park Cube in Lambeth at 10 years old. Now, in his final year at sixth form college, he’s come back as a classroom assistant at Moorlands Centre to support the next generation with their Maths and English attainment. When discussing his motivation to return, Jayden shared: **“Tutors United gave a lot to me so I wanted to give back.”**
In the classroom assistant role, he supported the tutor with lesson delivery and behaviour management, gaining key transferable skills. “I wasn’t very confident with presentations but now I’m able to explain confidently in class,” reflected Jayden. His growth in public speaking was showcased at the Strategy Celebration event this summer, when he delivered a powerful, moving, and humorous speech to our audience, highlighting his experience at TU and future career goals!
## **Our work with Livery Companies**
Livery Companies have been instrumental to our growth and success this year. From direct programme funding to championing us externally and brokering introductions to new partners, they have given us an abundance of opportunities to enhance our work. These three livery companies joined forces to co-fund existing and new hubs in Lewisham, to maximise our collective impact in the borough. We’re so grateful for their ongoing, multi-year support into 2025-26!
## **The Haberdashers’ Company**
Funding for Lewisham hubs was enhanced by a grant from their Resilience Fund to invest in our operational systems, to increase efficiency and quality of delivery as we grow.
## **The Leathersellers’ Company**
The generous hosts of our Strategy Celebration event have underpinned our Lewisham programmes since 2023, plugging gaps in other funding to protect hubs and pilot new ones.
## **Merchant Taylors’ Foundation**
Alongside match-funding Lewisham hubs with the Haberdashers, the Merchant Taylors’ Foundation made it possible to launch our first face-to-face Liverpool hub – and to continue it into next year.
**10**
## **TU in Lewisham**
Since 2020, we have reached 265 local families in Lewisham – a borough where over a third of children live in poverty. Thanks to the continued support and collaboration from council, livery, housing, and community partners, we are growing our work in the borough to meet the high demand for support, especially in wards with historic and deep inequalities.
This year, **we hired, trained, and paid 11 university students to deliver 279 hours of tuition to 69 pupils across 5 hubs in 4 local areas.** The collective impact of our programmes has been astounding, with **the 2024-25 Lewisham cohort progressing by an average of 76% in Maths and 1.6 sub-levels in English.**
As part of our strategy, we will deepen our growth across Lewisham, doubling to 8 hubs next year. By 2028, we aim to deliver 12 hubs and a summer holiday transition programme annually. We are hugely grateful to our partners who share this vision: the Bellingham Family Hub, the Downham Library, The Haberdashers’ Company, The Leathersellers’ Foundation, Lewisham Homes, the Merchant Taylors’ Foundation, Peabody Homes, and Phoenix Homes.
**Leander Parkside Centre Community Centre Bellin ham g Family Hub Downham Library Our brilliant Lewisham partners**
**11**
It has been a pleasure to host Tutors United at Bellingham Family Hub. The tutors were professional, reliable, and engaging with both children and parents. This has been an excellent example of partnership working to meet the needs of the community, and it was fantastic to see families participating in the wider activities available at the Hub as well as benefitting from the learning.
## **Charlotte Smith**
Family Hub Manager Lewisham Council
**----- Start of picture text -----**
12
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Embracing corporate social value**
Our direct relationships with businesses have boosted both programme delivery and career development for our student tutors, exemplified by our collaboration with **Amazon Web Services** . Their social value funding made our **first ever national programme with Clarion Futures** possible, delivering 15 hubs with 25 tutors that reached over 180 pupils.
With an ever more challenging economic landscape for charity fundraising and increased financial pressures faced by housing associations, we’ve explored new, creative ways to secure income and sustain delivery, which **harness the power of charity, community, and corporate partners coming together** . Accessing social value funding within our partners’ supply chains has been critical to bridge budget gaps.
A site visit to their HQ brought students together with AWS staff to offer insights into career pathways at a global tech company. One of our tutors shared:
Our **partnership via Peabody Housing with T Brown** , a mechanical, electrical, and building services company, has enabled us to deliver impactful work across Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. **PA Housing** also drew on social value funding from their contractors to grow our programme to 10 hubs across Leicester and London.
**"I loved learning more about AWS and having the chance to network, as well as being given tips for interviews and job applications."**
Corporate investment via the **Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation** (IICF) UK funded an extra hub with Poplar HARCA in Tower Hamlets and a local classroom assistant to enhance our impact.
These new types of partnerships are helping us build a more resilient and dynamic funding model — one that supports both programme growth and deeper engagement with the communities we serve.
**13**
## **Inspiring future engineers**
We’re thrilled to spotlight one of our most exciting new collaborations – a 3-year partnership with global engineering consultancy **Mott MacDonald** to inspire hundreds of young people about engineering as it relates to their lives and as a future career option!
Mott MacDonald first joined us at our pilot STEAM Ahead programme to lead a tactile learning session – using LEGO blocks, pupils were given a set ‘budget’ to design their own housing development based on community needs. The session exposed participants to engineering, while improving numeracy. **100% of pupils reporting they found the session engaging and enjoyable.**
Building on that success, we developed a long-term partnership to embed engineering in our curriculum. In July, **we delivered 147 hours of engineeringfocused lessons that were co-developed by our curriculum experts and their staff, with their team skilling up 28 of our tutors** at ‘Train the Trainer’ sessions. We also co-created an activity pack to foster learning over the school holiday, with input from the **London Transport Museum** too.
Guy Schmidt, Social Value Lead at Mott MacDonald shared of the experience: “ **It was great to help contribute towards a lesson plan for Tutors United that both linked into what we do around social value and focused on practical English skills as the foundation.** I enjoyed the challenge of designing a lesson for a younger audience, which I haven’t ever done before and so made me think about how we articulate the problem and task in a different way.”
Luke Mason-Hobbs, Social Value Consultant and CSR Rep, shared his thoughts on the partnership: “Mott MacDonald, as an engineering consultancy, deeply care about the communities that we work in... It’s always exciting to expand our partnerships with **great people that are doing great work in the local community.** ”
We are incredibly grateful for their financial support and excited for their continued involvement to give our pupils and tutors enriching learning experiences that bring engineering careers to life.
**147 hours of Mott MacDon ald-design ed S.T.E.M. lesson s delivered**
**4.2 average lesson rating (out of 5)**
## **Our first Liverpool hub**
**Thanks to funding from Merchant Taylors’ Foundation and a brand new partnership with South Liverpool Homes, we delivered our very first face-to-face hub in Liverpool!** Targeting pupils in Speke living in South Liverpool Homes’ social housing, 91% of our first cohort were low-income, 64% were eligible for free school meals, and 27% had a recent migrant background.
are statistically disadvantaged are, on average, 24.8 months behind their peers by the end of Key Stage 4, which is an even larger gap than nationally (18.8 months). For these reasons, **Liverpool is a top priority area for our growth** – with 2 further school-based hubs in collaboration with Liverpool Learning Partnership this year and ambitions to deliver 5 hubs across the city region in 2025-26.
Liverpool’s average Key Stage 2 attainment is below national average in both Maths and English. Following this trend, only 37% of residents have qualifications higher than GCSE level, which contributes to higher rates of unemployment in the region. Furthermore, pupils who
To celebrate our pupils’ amazing progress, we held our first out-of-London graduation ceremony at the hub, inviting families to come and see their children receive certificates and have their hard work recognised.
**12 pupils and fa** ~~**mi**~~ **lies**
**2 tutors hired, train ed, an d paid**
**44 hours of tuition**
**4 family progress session s**
**100% of families would recommen d Tutors Un ited**
**88% of families reported an increase in their child’s ability in Maths/English**
**1 graduation even t**
**15**
## **Growing our North West team**
Building on the success of our first face-to-face hubs in Liverpool and in line with our prioritisation of Liverpool City Region and the wider North West, we have invested in expanding our local team – with **three new staff joining our existing Liverpool- and Manchester-based COO and Head of Region.**
This gives us dedicated senior and operational resource – along with local knowledge and networks – to ensure we target delivery into areas of need, establish trusting relationships with other community providers, and give Liverpool university students a positive tutoring experience with TU!
## **Arran Wylde-Eccles Programme Officer (Manchester)**
After graduating during the pandemic, Arran began working as an online tutor – an experience that sparked a passion for helping young people reach their full potential. Since then, he’s worked across the charity sector and is committed to using education as a tool for creativity, character-building, and real change in the communities he serves.
**Lula Taylor Programme Officer (Liverpool)** Lula studied Law at the University of Liverpool and went on to complete a PGCE in Secondary Education at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). While working as a teacher of Religious Education, Lula acquired a Master’s degree in Educational Practice at LJMU, focusing her final research on tackling Misogyny in Secondary Education.
**Joe Coombes Finance and Governance Officer (Liverpool)** Joe has an extensive background working in higher education at Liverpool Hope University and Liverpool John Moores University. Joe has worked as a Sport Development Officer, Sport Centre Manager, and Operations Manager, working with local authority councils, Sport England, and national governing bodies of sport.
**16**
## **STEAM Ahead**
One of our strategic priorities is to evolve our model to **boost the support we offer pupils with the transition from primary to secondary school.**
**The need for accessible and affordable support that addresses both attainment and wellbeing is more important than ever** , especially over the school holidays when learning loss threatens to further entrench the attainment gap. Research shows that over the summer, on average, pupils’ achievement scores fall by one month’s worth of learning – with increased loss for pupils from low-income families who struggle to afford educational materials and activities.
While some have called for shortening the summer break, the Education Endowment Foundation reports that **summer schools using small group, targeted tutorials are an effective way to reduce learning loss, especially when coupled with other enriching activities** , which encourage the development of key soft skills that improve pupils’ overall wellbeing and resilience.
Our new STEAM Ahead programme, in partnership with KORI Youth Charity, aims to:
Improve literacy and numeracy skills through STEM-themed activities, underpinned by arts learning, for pupils in Years 5, 6, and 7 Strengthen confidence, resilience, and independence through youth work activities designed to engage children and boost their wellbeing
Offer enriching extracurricular activities to encourage creativity and contextualise learning
With a generous grant from the Rank Foundation, our Easter holiday pilot engaged 27 children from low-income backgrounds in peer-led wellbeing workshops, challenge-based Maths and English sessions, a LEGO activity with Mott MacDonald volunteers, and a visit to the Barbican to explore real-world STEM applications.
**Pupils reported feeling more confident, more positive about the transition to secondary, and equipped with a deeper appreciation for STEM.**
## **86%**
**pupils reported feeling more positive about transition to secondary school**
## **75%**
**pupils agreed they gained skills to manage their wellbeing**
**+17%**
**“I know what to do when I feel anxious or nervous about something”**
**+43%**
**“I ask for help when I don't understand something”**
**+10%**
**“I keep trying even when I don't understand something”**
**17**
**Wellbeing group activities led by youth workers**
**Maths and English tutorials led by trained tutors**
## **Practical learning sessions with professional volunteers**
Through targeted group work, tutor-led exercises, and independent assignments, pupils learned how to use different methods to approach problems and identify gaps in their knowledge, so they can confidently ask for help. All lessons gave pupils the chance to learn and apply their Maths and English skills within a particular week-long theme – which for our Easter pilot was building an environmentally sustainable town.
Standard learning environments often fail to identify or fully support the needs of young people with vulnerabilities. With this in mind, KORI Youth Workers facilitated group sessions designed to explore some of the challenges, fears, and realities of entering secondary school, with Year 7 pupils sharing their experiences with the younger pupils. These sessions were framed within the wellbeing theme, completed at the beginning of each day.
Business volunteers delivered complementary sessions building on the week’s STEM theme. The content of these sessions is co-created by corporate employees in collaboration with Tutors United and KORI staff, with the aim of contextualising learning and showing real-life application of taught skills. Global engineering firm Mott MacDonald led a fantastic LEGO
workshop for our pilot, which was unanimously loved by pupils and staff alike!
My girls really enjoyed the programme. They found it both fun and educational at the same time. One of my daughters has recently been showing a lot of anxiety when I drop her off at school, but seeing her happy and excited to go to the programme each morning, and content at the end of each day, truly means the world to me. **As a single mum on a low income, I wouldn’t have been able to offer them something like this on my own.**
**18**
## **Our core curriculum**
Our inclusive, interactive curriculum has been specially-devised in consultation with trained teachers to build foundational skills, cover key subjects, and boost confidence, while reinforcing the national curriculum to put our pupils in the best possible position before transitioning to secondary school.
**In Maths, the curriculum covers a range of topics that mirror what they are doing in school,**
**particularly in the run up to Key Stage 2 SATs.** Following a spiral pattern, topics are covered multiple times with increasing difficulty to encourage retention and reinforce their comprehension, focused around essential Maths skills such as:
**Problem solving**
**Mental and written maths**
**Logic and reasoning**
**In English, our curriculum asks pupils to look at a range of different text types and explore various styles of writing, all while keeping a solid focus on vital spelling, punctuation, and grammar skills (SPAG).** While the national curriculum at Key Stage 2 focuses on building basic techniques to develop writing skills, the assumption at Key Stage 3 is that pupils have mastered those skills and can confidently and competently write at length to demonstrate mastery in multiple subject areas. That’s why our curriculum focuses on engaging pupils’ creativity and imagination to apply their SPAG skills in long-form writing, to build confidence and proficiency with writing at length. Some of the English skills pupils develop are:
**Planning and organisation of ideas**
**Writing at length**
**Communicating and debating ideas**
## **Building literacy and numeracy**
The importance of numeracy and literacy extends far beyond the classroom. Yet, all too often, children, particularly those from low-income families, continue to fall behind.
**Currently, children from statistically disadvantaged backgrounds are 1.7 times less likely to achieve expected standards in reading, writing, and Maths by the time they complete primary school.** Pupils who are below the expected standard in their Year 6 SATs are 4 times less likely to pass at GCSE and are 3.5 times less likely to be in education, apprenticeship, or employment by age 21.
Despite the deepening educational inequalities post-pandemic and in the ongoing cost of living crisis, our amazing pupils continued to improve their academic attainment and confidence in both Maths and English.
**19**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Pupils performing
at each level in Maths
Maths progress
Pupil progress is measured through assessments
100%
administered in the first lesson (Initial Assessments)
Above Expected 54%
Standard and at the end of the programme (Final
Average
Above Expected Final Score Assessments). For Maths, the assessments are
Standard (Year 4, 5 and 6) structurally identical, but the numbers are altered to
80% measure and evaluate their progress. Our
At Expected programme aims to enable pupils to leave primary
Standard
school working At or Above Expected Standards.
The average score across all pupils in their Final
60% At Expected
Standard Assessment was 54%, with an average progress rate
155%
of 155%. 68% of Year 6 pupils were working At or
Average
Above the Expected Standard by the end of the
Individual Progress
(Year 4, 5 and 6) programme , compared with just 47% at the start,
40% ensuring they start Year 7 with the knowledge and
confidence they need to succeed.
Below Expected
Standard
Both Year 5 and Year 6 pupils finished the
Below Expected
20% Standard programme achieving Expected Standard average
scores for their year (53% and 60% respectively),
63%
while Year 4s – who learn the Year 5 curriculum –
Year 5 and Year 6 pupils
finished At or Above finished on 44%, just 6 percentage points off the
Expected Standards Year 5 standard, setting them up to start Year 5
0%
Initial Assessment Final Assessment with excellent foundations in Maths.
**----- End of picture text -----**
Pupil progress is measured through assessments administered in the first lesson (Initial Assessments) and at the end of the programme (Final Assessments). For Maths, the assessments are structurally identical, but the numbers are altered to measure and evaluate their progress. **Our programme aims to enable pupils to leave primary school working At or Above Expected Standards.**
The average score across all pupils in their Final Assessment was 54%, with an average progress rate of 155%. **68% of Year 6 pupils were working At or Above the Expected Standard by the end of the programme** , compared with just 47% at the start, ensuring they start Year 7 with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed.
**Both Year 5 and Year 6 pupils finished the programme achieving Expected Standard average scores for their year** (53% and 60% respectively), while Year 4s – who learn the Year 5 curriculum – finished on 44%, just 6 percentage points off the Year 5 standard, setting them up to start Year 5 with excellent foundations in Maths.
**20**
## **English progress**
Our English Assessments provide pupils with a writing prompt and are graded by a mark scheme that aligns with the national curriculum. Pupils are assessed on features of text type, handwriting, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writer’s voice, and are accordingly given a Year-Related Standard of Year 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. Within that Year-Related Standard, pupils are given a sub-level to define whether they are Emerging (E), Secure (S), or Advanced (A).
The national average for progress in English is 2 sub-levels per academic year. **40% of pupils made this same amount of progress after just 12 hours of TU tuition, with 29% pupils making 3 sub-levels (1 whole-year level) of progress in this same time period.**
In addition, 30% of this year’s cohort come from families with English as an Additional Language (EAL). These pupils made a fantastic 0.9 sub-levels of progress, while 38% of EAL pupils progressed by 2 or more sub-levels after 12 hours of tuition.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Pupil attainment by Year-Related Standards
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Initial Assessment Final Assessment
50%
3S
Average Final Grade
(Year 4, 5 and 6 )
vs. 2A in Initial Assessment
40%
30%
1.1
sub-levels
average progress after
12 hours of tutoring
20%
10%
40%
pupils made
2 or more sub-levels
of progress
0%
Year 2 or Below Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
**----- End of picture text -----**
**21**
**Attainment by different groups**
**Maths Attainment**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Boys with Caribbean backgrounds
39% 46% 925%
Average Initial Average Final Average Individual
Score Score Progress
Pupils on free school meals
45% 54% 167%
Average Initial Average Final Average Individual
Score Score Progress
**----- End of picture text -----**
**As the disadvan tage gap con tin ues to in crease, our work focuses on children who are most likely to fall through the cracks in main stream education .** Here is a summary of how different target groups, that perform below average, progressed in Maths and English.
## **English Attainment**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Pupils with English as an Additional Language
2A 3E 0.9
Average Initial Average Final Average sub-levels
Score Score of progress
Pupils on free school meals
2A 3S 1.15
Average Initial Average Final Average sub-levels
Score Score of progress
**----- End of picture text -----**
**22**
## **Pupil spotlight Chelsee**
Chelsee, a Year 6 pupil, achieved an incredible 97% attendance, missing only one lesson over the course of the programme. Her dedication to learning is reflected in her incredible progress.
Chelsee started with an Advanced Year 3 level (3A) in her Initial English Assessment, placing her 3 years behind where she should be at her age. After just 9 hours of tuition, in her Final Assessment she achieved a Secure Year 5 level (5S), making an amazing 5 sub-levels of progress and catching up to just 2 sublevels behind where she should be by the end of Year 6.
In the same amount of time, Chelsee progressed from 40% to 85% between her Initial and Final Maths Assessments, finishing the year in the Above Expected Standard grade boundary.
Reflecting on her time at TU, she said the sessions “have really boosted my confidence in English.” And while she attributes a lot of this to her tutor, who “has been amazing... and takes her time to explain our lesson to us,” we think Chelsee should be incredibly proud of herself too.
With Chelsee now preparing to begin Year 7 in September, her mum has also seen a big difference. “The TU lessons have really helped Chelsee grow in confidence, especially in English. She's more willing to speak up and tackle work that she would have previously found challenging. The support has made a big difference to both her learning and her mindset.”
**The support we have received from TU has been incredibly helpful in preparing Chelsee for her transition to secondary school. The sessions have not only strengthened her academic foundation in Maths and English but have also boosted her confidence and independence – skills that will be essential as she begins this next chapter. Crystal, Chelsee’s mum**
**23**
## **Building a legacy of learning**
Our curriculum is designed to not only spark curiosity and joy for learning, but also equip our pupils with the skills and mindset to become confident, resilient, and independent learners – contributing to a strong foundation that will support them through the transition to secondary school and beyond. With **93% of parents and carers having noticed an increase in their child’s confidence in learning** and **87% of pupils saying they have improved their confidence in Maths and/or English** , we are proud of our impact, readying children to face higher academic demands, new challenging topics, and changing learning environments.
Through a combination of collaborative group work, tutor-led lessons, and independent assignments, pupils learn to recognise gaps in their understanding, develop problemsolving strategies, and boost their attainment to promote lifelong learning.
An important part of our approach is **equipping parents and carers with the tools to engage with their child’s learning** during our termly progress evenings, which provide valuable insights into both curriculum content and assessment results, alongside practical strategies and resources to support learning at home.
To measure our long-term impact, we interview families after a year following their participation on our programme, with the former pupil having just completed Year 7. We measure what percentage of pupils are achieving expectations in Maths and English and whether parents/carers found their child’s time at Tutors United to be beneficial for their transition to secondary school.
## **Following their first year at secondary school...**
**78%**
of former parents/carers reported their child was meeting targets in Maths
**75%**
of former parents/carers reported their child was meeting targets in English
**81%**
of parents/carers agreed that TU supported their child’s transition to secondary school
**24**
**95%**
**94%**
## **84%**
parents/carers agreed that they better understand their child's performance from the tutor's weekly lesson feedback
parents/carers agreed that the parents/carers agreed their child had sessions helped them to understand improved in Maths and English since their child's performance attending tutoring with Tutors United
## **Bridging the gap between school and home**
One of the core pillars of our model is supporting parents and carers to better understand their child’s learning needs and integrate learning opportunities in the home. We do this through weekly lesson feedback, regular progress reports, and termly Tutors United-led sessions. This year, **we ran 98 progress evenings, with excellent engagement from parents and carers.** Sessions were delivered online or in-person, to maximise flexibility, accessibility, and convenience. The aim of these sessions is to:
**Inform parents and carers about how their child is performing and where they can improve in Maths and English**
**Give parents and carers tips on how to easily embed Maths and English learning into everyday life (e.g. having your child list all the ways they can calculate the number of the bus you’re on together)**
Our sessions give parents and carers an opportunity to connect with their peers while also gaining vital information on how they can reinforce learning at home and get their children the right support.
**They also serve as a great opportunity for us to better understand the needs of the families we support and identify trends which we can share with our partners, to inform a stronger system of wraparound support.**
**25**
## **Our tutors**
**This year we hired, trained, and paid 100 diverse university students** – most of whom also come from lowincome households – as tutors, providing them with meaningful, paid work experience, underpinned by academic and professional development.
All tutors are Enhanced DBS-checked, reference-checked, and fully trained by our externally-accredited development programme. **We were thrilled to receive the Princess Royal Training Award in November 2024!**
The flagship training in September focuses on pedagogy, behaviour management, and essential teaching skills to ensure tutors are well-prepared to deliver high-quality lessons. We hold three further training and development events across the academic year, centred around personal and professional growth.
We take a collaborative approach by regularly consulting with our tutors. This co-design ensures that training is both relevant and empowering, giving tutors a voice in shaping their development. This enhances the quality of the training while also instilling a sense of ownership and confidence in their learning journey.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Ethnicity
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Black or Black British Asian or Asian British White Mixed Other Prefer not to say
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
97%
tutors agreed training
and development events
boosted their employability
59%
“a desire to make a
difference to society” was
primary reason for joining
95%
tutors felt their role
allowed them to act as
a positive role model
**----- End of picture text -----**
**26**
**Results from our final tutor survey**
**93%**
**improved their communication skills 90% improved their adaptability**
**78%**
**improved their problem solving skills**
**99%**
**felt supported in their role as tutor 96%**
**reporting feeling pride in their work as a tutor**
## **Developing tutor employability**
**For 79% of our tutors, working at Tutors United is their first professional job and, as part of our mission, we’re committed to equipping them with the skills and experiences they need to thrive when they enter the postgraduate job market.** We focus on four key skills where evidence shows employers have reported a mismatch between their requirements and graduate competencies – **communication, adaptability, problem-solving, and willingness to learn.**
partners on the ground. Finally, a willingness to learn is embedded in our culture, as tutors are encouraged to set personal goals and reflect on their practice through our regular observations, training, and feedback processes.
As well as gaining skills through their experiences in the classroom, we further boost tutors’ employability through our tutor training sessions, by connecting them with our employer partners, and providing paid internships within the TU team to broaden their career experience.
These skills are reinforced as our tutors sharpen their communication skills by delivering lessons, providing feedback live in class and afterwards in writing to parents/carers, and tailoring their approach and style to suit diverse pupils. They also develop adaptability by working in different learning environments and responding to the varied needs of pupils. Problem-solving is encouraged when they design creative solutions to help pupils overcome challenges and handle issues that arise in lessons or with
Our approach to the tutoring role blends professional development with social advocacy, contributing to a stronger, more skilled, and civically-minded workforce. In fact, 85% of tutors agreed that TU improved their motivation to engage with social issues and 75% agreed tutoring with TU allowed them to feel more connected with their community.
**27**
## **Tutor employer partnerships**
This year we’ve ramped up our pipeline of career opportunities for tutors – offering more paid internship placements at Tutors United HQ and working with more employer partners than ever before. We team up with small and large organisations across a range of sectors to provide life-changing opportunities for our cohort of diverse, multilingual, highly-skilled tutors, which in turn benefits those employers’ graduate profile and inclusive talent pipeline. Tutors had access to bespoke career workshops via our charity partner Kori and directly with Amazon Web Services, the Bank of England, BlackRock and Sustainable Trading.
## **Equinix**
**Exclusive mentoring scheme for our tutors, with mentees and mentors matched according to career interests and undertaking monthly sessions – growing from 7 pairs in the pilot year to 17 in year two.**
## **Our 2024-25 tutor interns**
**Bilquis Ahmed** Recruitment Assistant University of Birmingham
**Dilni Edirisinghe** Impact and Evaluation Assistant University of Greenwich
**Jemima Kennedy** Programmes Assistant University of London
## **Leigh Day**
**Dedicated spaces on a highly sought-after legal skills workshop for three TU law students, including CV writing, networking opportunities with legal professionals, legal document drafting, and Q&A sessions.**
## **Quintessentially Foundation**
**Provided paid, exclusive summer internships to two TU tutors, working on their charity support programme The Firefly Project.**
**Aisosa Okunhon-Uduebor** Programmes Assistant University of Warwick **Kunjal Rawal** Recruitment Assistant Loughborough University
**28**
## **Equity at Tutors United**
Founded by a 17-year-old Black man living in social housing, and rooted in his lived experience of educational and racial injustice, equity continues to be a core driver for Tutors United’s strategic and frontline practice. We’re proud to be co-led by a Black woman and former tutor as Chair, and a queer single parent as CEO. **We strive to recruit staff and trustees who reflect**
**the communities we serve. Day-to-day, we adapt our inclusive practice to meet families’ diverse needs, while our People and Equity Committee holds us to account from the very top of TU.** This year, we commissioned JMB Consulting to deliver an in-depth anti-racism development programme for the team, trustees and tutors. Youth voice is a priority for 2026-27.
**35% 25% 50% Asian, Black or LGBTQ+ household income Mixed ethnicity below £35,000 as a child 50% 45% 20% parent disability eligible for free school or carer or health condition meals as a child**
**40% 70% first g** ~~**eneratio**~~ **n in their women family t** ~~**o go to**~~ **university 30% 10% their parent/s speak English Tutors United is their as additional language first professional job**
**30% their parent/s speak English as additional language**
**29**
## **Financial review**
Overall, we achieved a positive financial outturn and surpassed our income target thanks to strong performance with grant fundraising and securing new corporate investment. Along with our designated funds, this allowed us to invest in strategic priorities to underpin our growth – growing our team, creating more paid tutor internships, piloting our school holiday transition programme, and strengthening our pricing model and operational systems.
However, income from contracts dropped to 39% – its lowest-ever level from a previous high of 60% pre-pandemic – due to continued downward pressure on housing association community investment budgets. This trend is increasing as we move into 2025-26, underlining our strategic imperative to build more diverse, multi-year, and multi-partner funding sources to support our growth and give sustainability to young people and families.
**Total income: £754,183**
**Total expenditure: £627,077**
**Reserves position**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Unrestricted grants and donations
Raising funds
16.8% Support and governance
15%
22%
Contracts
for services
39.3%
Investments
0.4% Restricted grants Charitable activities
43.5% 63%
**----- End of picture text -----**
Our reserves policy requires TU to hold between three and five months of operating costs to cover overheads, which equates to £184k – £306k for 2025-26 planned expenditure. So our free reserves position of £303,119 at 31 July 2025 is in line with our reserves policy, covering just under 5 months of expenditure. This modest cushion is vital as we look to a more uncertain financial picture in 2025-26, with reduced income from contracts and grants, alongside cost pressures such as London Living Wage increases. The trustees do not plan to invest these unrestricted funds for specific purposes, as we anticipate a deficit in 2025-26 due to these income and expenditure challenges.
**30**
Our partners in 2024-25
GTO
aws
lanks Road
Prlmory School
PRIMlIlY S
HOOL
BlackRock.
¢hlklMn &Yoyr4 PwW¥
*ItlllLLpP
Guilds
THE
CONSIDERED
Fair
Education
Alliance
Family Hubs
•1 Garston
H•beTdashen'
Kniqhts Primary
Chuich of Engltsnd
Primory khool
FOUNCA TION
C:L,lJlllJi
EQUINIX
AS
¢A4
. ISLINGTON
Jmi
K•Kj
L&Q
LEIGHDAY
For o moro oquol luluro
The
LEATERSELLEft$'
FOUNDATION
LAWYERSAGAINSTINJUST
YOUTH CHARITY
LewlshaTh
Housing
Services
MUSEUM
LUCAS VALE
+ MTVH
COMMUNITY
FUND
PRIMARY 5CHI)111
MERCHANT TAYLORS,
FOUNDATION
MOTT
MACDONALD
rtnw•hlp
Notting HNI
Genesis
onehive
PA Housing
Peabody
Phoenix
platform
•••• FM)1151ng grcKJp
FOUNDA TION
Foundation
Share
Gift
South
Liverpool
Homes
THE
St Poul's Croy
STONE
FAMILY
I rJuNI)ATI()N
SUSTAINABLE
TRADING
T BROWN
Tangrnere
Primary Academy
LIIIIRPO(
R O U
31
UTORS
N l T E
## **Tutors United**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
Reference and administrative information set out on page 35 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective from January 2019).
## **Public benefit**
The trustees have regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit in directing the work of the charity and in ensuring the charity's compliance with the Good Governance Code and the provisions of the Charities Act 2011 as amended.
## **Structure, governance and management** Constitution
Tutors United is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee and was set up by a Memorandum of Association.
## Methods of appointment or election of Trustees
The management of the company is the responsibility of the Trustees, who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the Memorandum of Association.
## Financial risk management
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the company is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the company, and are satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
## **Statement of responsibilities of the trustees**
The trustees (who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- ▪ observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; ▪ make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; ▪ state whether applicable UK accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
33
## **Tutors United**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
## **Independent examiners**
Godfrey Wilson Limited were re-appointed as independent examiners to the charitable company during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.
Approved by the trustees on 12 February 2026 and signed on their behalf by
Robert Holmes - Treasurer
34
## **Tutors United**
## **Reference and administrative details**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
|**Company number**|08595641||
|---|---|---|
|**Charity number**|1176968||
|**Registered office**|63/66 Hatton Garden||
|**address**|London||
||EC1N 8LE||
|**Operational office**|19-21 Garden Walk||
|**address**|London||
||EC2A 3EQ||
|**Trustees**|Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during||
||the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:||
||Katie Carr|appointed 22 August 2024|
||Dr Freda Chio Tait|appointed 22 August 2024|
||Matthew Corner|resigned 22 August 2024|
||Robert Hale|appointed 22 August 2024|
||Robert Holmes||
||Emily Kell|appointed 22 August 2024|
||Annie Maciver|resigned 22 August 2024|
||Liam McLaughlin|resigned 16 November 2024|
||Laura Wilson||
|**Chief executive officer**|Amy Whitelock Gibbs||
|**Bankers**|Barclays Bank UK plc||
||Leicester||
||LE87 2BB||
|**Independent**|Godfrey Wilson Limited||
|**examiners**|Chartered accountants and statutory auditors||
||5th Floor Mariner House||
||62 Prince Street||
||Bristol||
||BS1 4QD||
35
## **Independent examiner's report**
## **To the trustees of**
## **Tutors United**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Tutors United (the charitable company) for the year ended 31 July 2025, which are set out on pages 38 to 53.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charitable company's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
Since the charitable company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies.
Godfrey Wilson Limited also provides bookkeeping and payroll services to the charitable company. I confirm that as a member of the ICAEW I am subject to the FRC’s Revised Ethical Standard 2024, which I have applied with respect to this engagement.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- (1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the charitable company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
- (2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or
- (3) the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
- (4) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
36
## **Independent examiner's report**
## **To the trustees of**
## **Tutors United**
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## Dougal Howard
Date: 12 February 2026 **Dougal Howard ACA Member of the ICAEW Godfrey Wilson Limited** Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD
37
## **Tutors United**
**Statement of financial activities** _(incorporating an income and expenditure account)_
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
|Note
**Income from:**
Donations
3
Charitable activities
4
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
**Total expenditure**
6
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**
**Net income and net movement in**
**funds**|Restricted Unrestricted
£
£
-
126,650
328,220
296,584
-
2,729
328,220
425,963
-
119,819
225,258
282,000
225,258
401,819
102,962
24,144
99,457
292,918
202,419
317,062|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**126,650**
**624,804**
**2,729**
**754,183**
**119,819**
**507,258**
**627,077**
**127,106**
**392,375**
**519,481**|2024
Total
£
93,470
565,708
2,312|
|---|---|---|---|
||||661,490|
||||118,273
406,829|
||||525,102|
||||136,388
255,987|
||||392,375|
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 15 to the accounts.
38
## **Tutors United**
## **Balance sheet**
## **As at 31 July 2025**
|Note
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
10
**Current assets**
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
**Liabilities**
Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year
12
**Net current assets**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**Net assets**
14
**Funds**
15
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
General funds
**Total charity funds**|**£**
**81,682**
**477,893**
**559,575**
**(54,037)**|**2025**
**£**
**13,943**
**505,538**
**519,481**
**519,481**
**202,419**
**-**
**317,062**
**519,481**|2024
£
6,346|
|---|---|---|---|
||||58,803
357,155|
||||415,958
(29,929)|
||||386,029|
||||392,375|
||||392,375|
||||99,457
20,000
272,918|
||||392,375|
The directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act) relating to the audit of the financial statements for the year by virtue of section 477, and that no member or members have requested an audit pursuant to section 476 of the Act.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for:
- (i) ensuring that the Company keeps proper accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act; and
- (ii) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as at the end of the financial year and of its profit or loss for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of section 393, and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Act relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.
39
## **Tutors United**
## **Balance sheet**
**As at 31 July 2025**
Approved by the trustees on 12 February 2026 and signed on their behalf by
Robert Holmes - Treasurer
40
## **Tutors United**
## **Statement of cash flows**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
|**Cash flows from operating activities:**
Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
(Increase) / decrease in debtors
Increase / (decrease) in creditors
**Net cash provided by operating activities**
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
**Net cash (used in) / provided by investing activities**
**Increase in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**|**2025**
**£**
**127,106**
**1,981**
**(2,729)**
**(22,879)**
**24,108**
**127,587**
**2,729**
**(9,578)**
**(6,849)**
**120,738**
**357,155**
**477,893**|2024
£
136,388
2,117
(2,312)
27,835
(37,254)|
|---|---|---|
|||126,774|
|||2,312
-|
|||2,312|
|||129,086
228,069|
|||357,155|
The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.
41
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies a) General information and basis of preparation**
Tutors United is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. The registered office address is 63/66 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8LE.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Tutors United meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.
## **b) Going concern basis of accounting**
The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern, which the trustees consider appropriate having regard to the current level of unrestricted reserves. There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
## **c) Income**
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
Income received in advance of provision of services is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met.
## **d) Donated services and facilities**
Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item, is probable and the economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.
## **e) Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
42
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **f) Funds accounting**
- Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
## **g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
## **h) Allocation of support and governance costs**
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities based on the proportion total cost by each activity as follows:
||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|
|Raising funds|**19.1%**|22.5%|
|Charitable activities|**80.9%**|77.5%|
## **i) Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:
Computer equipment
25% reducing balance
Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £500.
## **j) Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
## **k) Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
43
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **l) Creditors**
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## **m) Financial instruments**
The charitable company only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## **n) Pension costs**
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA.
## **o) Accounting estimates and key judgements**
In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.
The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are accrued income and deferred income as described in note 1(c) above.
44
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities**
|**Income from:**
Donations
Charitable activities
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
**Total expenditure**
**Net income and net movement in funds**
**3.**
**Income from donations**
Corporate donations
Donations
Grants
Stone Family
Drapers Charitable Trust
**Total income from donations**|Restricted
£
£
-
93,470
271,614
294,094
-
2,312
271,614
389,876
-
118,273
220,605
186,224
220,605
304,497
51,009
85,379
**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**56,500**
**150**
**70,000**
**-**
**126,650**
Unrestricted|2024
Total
£
93,470
565,708
2,312|
|---|---|---|
|||661,490|
|||118,273
406,829|
|||525,102|
|||136,388|
|||2024
Total
£
-
15,970
62,500
15,000|
|||93,470|
All income from donations in the current and prior year was unrestricted.
45
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **4. Income from charitable activities**
|Contracts for services
Grants > £10k
National Lottery Community Fund
The Considered Ask
Postcode Society
Leathersellers Lewisham
Rank Foundation STEAM Ahead
The Hargreaves Foundation
Grants < £10k
**Total income from charitable activities**|Restricted
£
£
-
296,584
212,080
-
33,925
-
17,532
-
14,975
-
14,000
-
10,000
-
25,708
-
328,220
296,584
Unrestricted|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**296,584**
**212,080**
**33,925**
**17,532**
**14,975**
**14,000**
**10,000**
**25,708**|
|---|---|---|
|||**624,804**|
## **Prior period comparative**
|**Prior period comparative**|||
|---|---|---|
|Contracts for services
Grants > £10k
National Lottery Community Fund
The Considered Ask
Cheshire Community Fund
Peabody Community Fund
Grants < £10k
**Total income from charitable activities**|Restricted
£
£
-
294,094
172,928
-
33,348
-
19,240
-
15,000
-
31,098
-
271,614
294,094
Unrestricted|2024
Total
£
294,094
172,928
33,348
19,240
15,000
31,098|
|||565,708|
## **5. Government grants**
The charitable company receives government grants, defined as funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to fund charitable activities. The total value of such grants in the period ending 31 July 2025 was £212,080 (2024: £172,928). There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attaching to these grants in 2024-25.
46
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **6. Total expenditure**
|Raising funds
Charitable
activities
£
£
Staff costs (note 8)
86,925
257,218
Other staff costs
-
18,565
Tutor fees
-
62,806
Direct delivery costs
-
58,652
Consultancy fees
6,907
-
Rent
-
-
Office costs
-
-
Depreciation
-
-
IT
-
-
Accountancy
-
-
**Sub-total**
93,832
397,241
Allocation of support
and governance costs
25,987
110,017
**Total expenditure**
**119,819**
**507,258**
Total governance costs were £3,660 (2024: £3,480).
**Prior period**
**comparative**
Raising funds
Charitable
activities
£
£
Staff costs (note 8)
90,600
237,773
Other staff costs
-
5,357
Tutor fees
-
50,844
Direct delivery costs
-
23,323
Consultancy fees
1,644
-
Rent
-
-
Office costs
-
-
Depreciation
-
-
IT
-
-
Accountancy
-
-
**Sub-total**
92,244
317,297
Allocation of support
and governance costs
26,029
89,532
**Total expenditure**
118,273
406,829|Support and
governance
costs
£
88,828
-
-
-
2,960
15,782
1,251
1,981
12,053
13,149
136,004
(136,004)
**-**
Support and
governance
costs
£
72,453
-
-
-
-
15,136
1,181
2,117
13,602
11,072
115,561
(115,561)
-|**2025 Total**
**£**
**432,971**
**18,565**
**62,806**
**58,652**
**9,867**
**15,782**
**1,251**
**1,981**
**12,053**
**13,149**|
|---|---|---|
|||**627,077**
**-**|
|||**627,077**|
|||2024 Total
£
400,826
5,357
50,844
23,323
1,644
15,136
1,181
2,117
13,602
11,072|
|||525,102
-|
|||525,102|
47
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
**7. Net movement in funds**
This is stated after charging:
|Depreciation
Operating lease payments
Trustees' remuneration
Trustees' reimbursed expenses
Independent examiner's remuneration (excluding VAT):
Independent examination
Other services|**2025**
**£**
**1,981**
**14,184**
**Nil**
**45**
**3,050**
**7,408**|2024
£
2,117
13,824
Nil
Nil
2,900
3,482|
|---|---|---|
In common with other charities of our size and nature we use our independent examiners to assist with the preparation of the financial statements, and to prepare and submit returns to the tax authorities. Our independent examiners have also provided payroll services and other consultancy services to the charity during the year.
During the year, 1 trustee incurred expenses for travel of £45 (2024: £nil).
## **8. Staff costs and numbers**
Staff costs were as follows:
|Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs
Employees earning more than £60,000 during the year:
Between £60,000 and £70,000|**2025**
**£**
**393,109**
**33,340**
**6,522**
**432,971**
**2025**
**No.**
**1**|2024
£
360,407
31,337
9,082|
|---|---|---|
|||400,826|
|||2024
No.
1|
The key management personnel of the charitable company comprise the trustees, chief executive officer, and the senior leadership team. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £227,794 (2024: £212,420).
|Average head count|**2025**
**No.**
**11**|2024
No.
11|
|---|---|---|
48
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **9. Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.
## **10. Tangible fixed assets**
|**Cost**
At 1 August 2024
Additions
At 31 July 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 August 2024
Charge for the year
At 31 July 2025
**Net book value**
**At 31 July 2025**
At 31 July 2024
**Debtors**
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
Other debtors|**2025**
**£**
**11,101**
**10,244**
**60,310**
**27**
**81,682**|**Total**
**£**
**17,879**
**9,578**|
|---|---|---|
|||**27,457**|
|||**11,533**
**1,981**|
|||**13,514**|
|||**13,943**|
|||6,346|
|||2024
£
42,082
8,134
8,560
27|
|||58,803|
## **11. Debtors**
49
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **12. Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year**
|**Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year**|||
|---|---|---|
|Trade creditors
Accruals
Other taxation and social security
Deferred income (note 13)
Other creditors
**Deferred income**
At 1 August
Deferred during the year
Released during the year
At 31 July|**2025**
**£**
**11,420**
**12,546**
**12,498**
**17,573**
**-**
**54,037**
**2025**
**£**
**-**
**17,573**
**-**
**17,573**|2024
£
7,784
10,880
9,046
-
2,219|
|||29,929|
|||2024
£
37,116
-
(37,116)|
|||-|
## **13. Deferred income**
Deferred income relates to fees invoiced in advance of the activities taking place.
## **14. Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
**Net assets at 31 July 2025**
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
**Net assets at 31 July 2024**
**Prior period comparative**|£
-
202,419
-
**202,419**
£
-
99,457
-
99,457
Restricted
funds
Restricted
funds|£
-
-
-
**-**
£
-
20,000
-
20,000
Designated
funds
Designated
funds|£
13,943
357,156
(54,037)
**317,062**
£
6,346
296,501
(29,929)
272,918
General
funds
General
funds|**Total**
**funds**
**£**
**13,943**
**559,575**
**(54,037)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**519,481**|
|||||Total
funds
£
6,346
415,958
(29,929)|
|||||392,375|
50
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **15. Movements in funds**
|**Movements in funds**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Restricted funds**
The Considered Ask
Haberdashers Lewisham
Haberdashers Resilience Fund
Leathersellers
Merchant Taylors (Lewisham)
Merchant Taylors (Liverpool)
National Lottery Community Fund
Postcode Society
Rank Foundation STEAM Ahead
The Hargreaves Foundation
**Total restricted funds**
**Unrestricted funds**
_Designated funds_
English progress review
Website redevelopment
_Total designated funds_
General funds
**Total unrestricted funds**
**Total funds**
Insurance Industries Charitable Foundation|£
-
5,000
-
-
-
-
5,000
89,457
-
-
-
At 1 August
2024|Income
£
33,925
5,000
3,000
8,710
14,975
8,998
-
212,080
17,532
14,000
10,000|Expenditure
£
(7,121)
(5,000)
(3,000)
(8,710)
(14,975)
(8,998)
(5,000)
(152,454)
-
(14,000)
(6,000)|**£**
**26,804**
**5,000**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**149,083**
**17,532**
**-**
**4,000**
**At 31 July**
**2025**|
||99,457|328,220|(225,258)|**202,419**|
||10,000
10,000|-
-|(10,000)
(10,000)|**-**
**-**|
||20,000|-|(20,000)|**-**|
||272,918|425,963|(381,819)|**317,062**|
||292,918|425,963|(401,819)|**317,062**|
||392,375|754,183|(627,077)|**519,481**|
## **Purposes of restricted funds** The Considered Ask
Funding for a Programme and Systems Coordinator plus developer costs from March 2025 to March 2028 to unlock our strategic growth.
## Haberdashers Lewisham
Match-funding towards delivery of 2 tuition hubs in Lewisham from September 2024 to July 2026.
## Haberdashers Resilience Fund
Funding for phase one of our digital systems development from January to March 2025 to underpin organisational sustainability and growth.
51
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **15. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds (continued)** Insurance Industries Charitable Foundation
Funding for 1 tuition hub enhanced by a classroom assistant role for a local sixth former in Tower Hamlets from January to July 2025.
## Leathersellers
Funding for 2 tuition hubs and additional family learning opportunities in Lewisham from November 2024 to July 2025.
## Merchant Taylors (Lewisham)
Match-funding towards delivery of 2 tuition hubs in Lewisham from September 2024 to July 2025.
## Merchant Taylors (Liverpool)
Match-funding for 1 tuition hub and a graduation celebration in Liverpool from January to July 2025.
## National Lottery Community Fund
Funding for increased staff capacity (6 posts) to support regional growth over 3 years from January 2023 to December 2025.
## Postcode Society
Funding for a pilot school holiday transition programme for 30 year 5 to 7 pupils, co-delivered with Kori Youth Charity - carried forward to October 2025.
## Rank Foundation STEAM Ahead
Funding for a pilot school holiday transition programme for 30 year 5 to 7 pupils, co-delivered with Kori Youth Charity in April 2025.
## The Hargreaves Foundation
Funding towards expansion of our London tuition hubs to reach 30 additional pupils and their families from January to December 2025.
## **Purposes of designated funds**
## English progress review
Funding to review, re-design and pilot a new method of assessing and reporting pupils’ English progress, delivered in 2024-25.
## Website redevelopment
Funding to commission a full re-design of our website to improve parent and partner engagement, delivered in 2024-25.
52
## **Tutors United**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 July 2025**
## **15. Movements in funds (continued)**
|**Prior period comparative**
The Considered Ask
Edward Cadbury
EMR Building Brighter Futures
(Cheshire Community Fund)
Gosling Foundation
Haberdashers Lewisham
Leathersellers
Lee Education Charitable Fund
Merchant Taylors (Liverpool)
National Lottery Community
Fund
Peabody Community Fund
Rotherhithe Consolidated
Charities
Wimbledon Foundation
**Total restricted funds**
**Unrestricted funds**
_Designated funds_
English progress review
Website redevelopment
_Total designated funds_
General funds
**Total unrestricted funds**
**Total funds**|At 1
August
2023
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
43,150
-
-
5,298|Income
£
33,348
5,000
19,240
5,000
5,000
6,500
1,528
5,000
172,928
15,000
3,070
-|£
(33,348)
(5,000)
(19,240)
(5,000)
-
(6,500)
(1,528)
-
(126,621)
(15,000)
(3,070)
(5,298)
Expenditure|Transfers
between
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|£
-
-
-
-
5,000
-
-
5,000
89,457
-
-
-
At 31 July
2024|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||48,448|271,614|(220,605)|-|99,457|
||-
-|-
-|-
-|10,000
10,000|10,000
10,000|
||-|-|-|20,000|20,000|
||207,539|389,876|(304,497)|(20,000)|272,918|
||207,539|389,876|(304,497)|-|292,918|
||255,987|661,490|(525,102)|-|392,375|
## **16. Operating lease commitments**
The charity had operating leases in the year but there were no commitments at the year end. Operating lease payments made in the year are disclosed in note 7.
## **17. Related party transactions**
There were no related party transactions in the current or prior period.
53