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Become a better tutor · Module 5: Impact that lasts

Show progress you can see

“She seems more confident” is nice. “She went from 41% to 63% on the same type of paper” is proof. Give families proof.

Written by the Brainhub Editorial Team Cites published research Updated 13 Oct 2026 6 min read

The course unlocks one lesson at a time. You can read this now, but it only counts once you’ve finished Tutor, not teacher.

Key takeaways

1. Baseline, target, trend

The assessment at the start is your baseline. The agreement sets the target. Everything after that is about showing the trend between them. Re-test the same skills every four to six weeks, using similar questions and timings, so the comparison is fair.

The Education Endowment Foundation rates feedback as one of the most effective, lowest-cost approaches in its toolkit, adding about six months’ progress on average. A clear score trend is feedback for the student and evidence for the parent.[1]

2. The deliverables

Consultants hand over things the client can see and keep. Tutors can too. Each one shows the family what they are getting, and gives the student something to look back on.

When
Deliverable
What it shows
Week 1
Diagnostic summary
Strengths, priorities and why marks are lost
Week 1
One-page plan
Target, plan and what everyone will do
Every lesson
Three-line lesson note
What we did, what went well, what’s next
Every 4–6 weeks
Progress check and score chart
The trend against the target
End of block
End-of-block report
Results, what changed and the next step

3. Feedback that moves them forward

When you share a result, use the three feedback questions: where are you going, how are you doing, where next? And praise effort and strategy, not cleverness. The research on feedback found praise aimed at the person did little for learning.[2]

“You’re up 12 marks, mostly on the long questions, because you planned before writing. Next we’ll get the same marks in less time” tells the student exactly what worked and what to do next.

Try this: Make a simple chart for each student: score on the y-axis, week on the x-axis. Share it at every progress check.

4. High standards, said out loud

A review of 435 studies found feedback has a medium-sized effect on learning on average, but the range is huge. Specific feedback about the task, the method and how students check their own work helps most. Praise, rewards and grades on their own help least.[3]

Feedback can also backfire. In a classic review, more than a third of feedback effects were negative. Quality matters more than quantity.[4]

One line makes criticism land better. In randomised experiments, students whose essay comments came with the note “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them” were more likely to revise their work, and their final drafts were better. It worked best for students who trusted teachers least.[5]

I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations, and I know you can reach them.

Try this: Next time you mark work, start your comments with the high-expectations line, then give two specific, fixable points.

Try it now

Test yourself on this page

Answer in your head first, then check.

  1. 1. Why do you need a baseline?

  2. 2. Name three tutoring deliverables.

Your next steps

  • Find or set a baseline score for every student.
  • Book a progress check in the next four weeks.
  • Start a score chart for each student.

Finished this lesson?

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Sources

  1. Education Endowment Foundation. Teaching and Learning Toolkit: Feedback. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/feedback
  2. Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112. doi:10.3102/003465430298487
  3. Wisniewski, B., Zierer, K. and Hattie, J. (2020). The power of feedback revisited: a meta-analysis of educational feedback research. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 3087. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03087
  4. Kluger, A. N. and DeNisi, A. (1996). The effects of feedback interventions on performance: a historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 254–284. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.119.2.254
  5. Yeager, D. S., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Garcia, J., Apfel, N., Brzustoski, P., Master, A., Hessert, W. T., Williams, M. E. and Cohen, G. L. (2014). Breaking the cycle of mistrust: wise interventions to provide critical feedback across the racial divide. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(2), 804–824. doi:10.1037/a0033906

This lesson is general professional guidance for tutors. Always follow Brainhub’s safeguarding policy and use your own professional judgement.