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Brainhub guide

What the evidence says about tutoring

One-to-one tuition adds about five months’ progress on average. How it’s run makes a big difference.

Written by the Brainhub Editorial Team Cites published research Updated 13 Oct 2026 7 min read

Key takeaways

1. The headline numbers

The Education Endowment Foundation reports that one-to-one tuition has an average impact of about five months’ additional progress, based on 123 studies.[1]

Small-group tuition, with two to five pupils, has an average impact of about four months, based on 62 studies. Effectiveness drops as groups get larger.[2]

2. What makes tutoring work

The EEF finds that short, regular sessions, about 30 minutes three to five times a week, over a set period of up to ten weeks, tend to give the best results. Programmes led by experienced, trained teachers tend to be more effective than those led by volunteers.[1]

A large international review of randomised trials reached similar conclusions: tutoring had large average effects, and programmes run by teachers or trained staff, and those held during the school day, tended to work best.[3]

The best tutoring is frequent, focused and linked to what the student is learning in class.

3. Online tutoring

The EEF notes that studies involving digital technology show similar effects to other approaches, and that online delivery can cost less.[1]

4. Questions to ask any tutoring provider

Who teaches?

Are tutors qualified and experienced in the exact course and exam board?

What’s the plan?

Is there an assessment, a written plan and regular progress updates?

How will we know?

How is progress measured and reported to you or your school?

For schools: Link tutoring to classroom teaching and agree how progress will be shared with staff.

Try it now

Test yourself on this page

Answer in your head first, then check.

  1. 1. What is the EEF’s average impact for one-to-one tuition?

  2. 2. What group size does the EEF define as small-group tuition?

  3. 3. What session pattern tends to work best?

Your next steps

  • Read the EEF toolkit pages on one-to-one and small-group tuition.
  • Write down your goals before you speak to a provider.
  • Ask for a free assessment and a written plan.

Sources

  1. Education Endowment Foundation. Teaching and Learning Toolkit: One to one tuition. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/one-to-one-tuition
  2. Education Endowment Foundation. Teaching and Learning Toolkit: Small group tuition. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/small-group-tuition
  3. Nickow, A., Oreopoulos, P. and Quan, V. (2020). The impressive effects of tutoring on PreK-12 learning: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. NBER Working Paper 27476. nber.org/papers/w27476

This guide is general study advice. Every student is different. A teacher can help you work out what fits.