Inspire the next generation by becoming a volunteer tutor
Sign up as a volunteer with The Access Project to help a high potential, under-resourced student beat the odds and go to a top university.
- Tutor online for an hour a week in a subject you are passionate about
- Help students raise their grades and boost their chances of social mobility
- Make a significant, lasting impact on a young person’s future
- Gain valuable tutoring experience and enhance your CV through developing transferable skills, such as communication, leadership and planning.
You are only a few clicks away from transforming a young person’s life as a volunteer tutor.
Become a volunteer tutor
Help a student from a disadvantaged background beat the odds and get to a top university by signing up as a volunteer tutor with The Access Project.
- Tutor online for an hour a week during term-time, in a subject you are passionate about
- Support someone else to get as much out of the education system as you have
- Be a positive role model: make a significant, lasting impact on a young person’s future
- Gain valuable tutoring experience and enhance your CV
- Enhance your communication, mentoring and planning skills
You are only a few clicks away from transforming a young person’s life as a volunteer tutor.
Become a volunteer tutor
Help a high potential, under-resourced student beat the odds and get to a top university by signing up as a volunteer tutor with The Access Project.
- Tutor online for an hour a week in a subject you are passionate about
- Help students raise their grades and boost their chances of social mobility
- Make a significant, lasting impact on a young person’s future
- Gain valuable tutoring experience and enhance your CV through developing transferable skills, such as communication, leadership and planning.
You are only a few clicks away from transforming a young person’s life as a volunteer tutor.
My ability to digest and explain complex ideas in simple terms has improved dramatically. There are definitely times when I think I’ve learnt just as much, if not more, than my student!
Samuel, The Access Project tutor
My ability to digest and explain complex ideas in simple terms has improved dramatically. There are definitely times when I think I’ve learnt just as much, if not more, than my student!
Samuel, The Access Project tutor
Students with The Access Project staff at a university trip.
Why become a volunteer tutor?
Volunteer tutors have never been more needed. The most under-resourced young people in England are five times less likely to go to a top university in comparison to their peers from more privileged backgrounds. Inequality in the UK’s education system continues to grow throughout the cost of living crisis.
92% of our students come from the most under-resourced backgrounds. This means they may come from lower income families and have no family history of attending university.
By tutoring with us you will:
- Help tackle inequality in the education system
- Give under-resourced young people a better chance at getting into one of the country’s leading universities
- Inspire the next generation to reach their potential
- Work one-to-one with a student – tutoring and guiding them during their studies.
Why is attending a top university so important? Research shows that graduating from a top university can quadruple a young person’s chances in terms of gaining employment and earning a good income.
What is a volunteer tutor?
Volunteer tutors are at the heart of what we do at The Access Project.
Every student at The Access Project is matched with a tutor to fit their needs. Volunteer tutors spend time working with a student to help expand their knowledge of their chosen subject, with the ultimate goal to raise their grades and get them the results they need for university.
As a tutor, you’ll dedicate one hour per week to online tutoring. You’ll work one-to-one with your student, which means you’ll get to know their ambitions. We’ll also help you tailor your sessions to your student’s individual needs.
We’re lucky to have over 1,000 volunteers based all over the country. Many have used tutoring as an opportunity to grow their skills, while others see it as an opportunity to give back to a good cause. You’ll get dedicated support from our staff team at The Access Project, and you’ll feel an immense sense of reward as you help a young person learn and grow.
Students on one of our enrichment events at Oxford University in 2022.
I am feeling more confident in English and will become even more confident in the future. This is a great opportunity and should be taken immediately as it will benefit anyone; I am and always will be very grateful for it.
Emre, Year 10 student
Why our tutors love volunteering for The Access Project
Maya joined The Access Project during her studies at Loughborough University. She wanted a flexible volunteering role to fit alongside her studies. As a volunteer tutor, she’s developed new time management and communication skills while helping her tutee grow and achieve.
“I have really enjoyed building a relationship with my tutee and seeing them grow in confidence. Hearing positive feedback about how I am making a difference is lovely to hear.”
Adam is a volunteer tutor at The Access Project. He tutors A level Maths for one hour per week, and has described feeling an immense sense of reward by helping his students succeed. Since joining The Access Project, Adam has been able to use his Maths degree in a practical, meaningful way for the first time.
“Learning is one of the greatest joys and privileges in life, and teaching someone to learn comes not far behind.”
Maya (top) and Adam (bottom), volunteer tutors at The Access Project.
%
of our volunteers would recommend The Access Project to somebody they know
%
of volunteers believe they are making a positive impact on students
%
of volunteers said their subject knowledge has improved
Want to know more?
- Ask us a message in the pop-up chat box. We monitor this inbox from 9.30am – 4pm, Monday – Friday.
- Got a question? Check our FAQs below or drop us an email at volunteering@theaccessproject.org.uk.
Join over 1,000 people like you who are volunteering with us across the UK right now. Opportunities are filling up fast so start your volunteer tutor journey today!
Frequently asked questions
Where does The Access Project operate?
We work in 40 schools across London, West Midlands, East Midlands, West Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire supporting almost 2,000 students. Tuition is delivered online via our online tuition platform, so volunteers can be based anywhere in the UK.
How do I help?
As a volunteer tutor, you’ll be paired with one student aged 14-18 years to support them to achieve their potential in one of their GCSE or A level subjects. Most of our demand is at GCSE. In a weekly tutorial session, you will address the topics that their teacher thinks would be most helpful for them.
What qualifications do I need?
All volunteers need to have at least completed an undergraduate degree or be currently studying for their undergraduate degree to be eligible to volunteer.. This does not have to be from a UK University but does need to be equivalent to a UK degree.
You can tutor a subject at GCSE (students aged 14 – 16 years) if you have an A level (grade B or higher) in that subject yourself
If you want to tutor a subject at A level (students aged 16 – 18 years), you’ll need an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification in the subject yourself, or a subject closely related. You can also tutor a subject if your degree is in a related field (for example, you can tutor English if you studied Law).
Can I apply if I don't have a degree?
We welcome applications from students currently at university to tutor at GCSE. However, as so much of our programme is focussed on university entry, we feel that having this experience is really important for our tutors. We won’t be able to accept your application if you are currently on a gap-year, but we’d love to hear from you once you start your university course!
When can I apply?
You can apply at any point during the year, but tutoring takes place between September and July. We train the majority of our volunteers in summer and autumn.
Can I volunteer if I don’t live in the UK?
At this time, we can’t accept applications from volunteers who live outside the UK. We need all our tutors to have a DBS certificate, for which you need to have lived in the UK for at least three months. We would love to hear from you again if you move to the UK in the future.
How does online tutoring work?
You’ll use our dedicated online platform so that your sessions can be engaging and interactive whilst keeping you and your student safe. You’ll be able to talk with and see your student using your webcam, share documents and work collaboratively using a virtual whiteboard. You’ll also be able to contact your student via the platform to arrange sessions.
We offer training to ensure that you and your student are both comfortable using the platform. We also provide students with any hardware they need to make the most of online sessions.
Do I need specific equipment to tutor online?
Our dedicated online tutoring platform can be accessed via your internet browser and we will provide you with complete user guides, access to webinars and more information at your training session and throughout your time as a volunteer tutor.
We recommend you have the following to be able to tutor online:
- Access to a PC, laptop or tablet
- A stable internet connection
- Be familiar with using video chat or online conferencing platforms, and how to share documents online
- A quiet space without distractions (you may wish to use headphones)
- For optimal experience, we recommend using Google Chrome as your browser when tutoring
- Our dedicated team will be there to support you with any questions or issues you may have
What subjects can I tutor in?
We are looking for volunteer tutors in the following subjects, to coincide with the subjects taught at our partner schools:
GCSE and A Level: Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Geography, History, Maths, Physics, Spanish
A Level only: Economics, Politics, Psychology
Please note that our demand is mainly for GCSE.
How much time does it take?
You’ll need to be able to tutor for an hour a week during a school year. We also recommend that you prepare for at least 30 minutes ahead of each tutorial. Sometimes holidays and illness will mean you will have to postpone a session, but the aim is for one a week during term-time.
Will I get any training?
Absolutely! We’ll make sure that you’ve got all the information you need to feel confident when you start tutoring. We’ll provide you with access so you can complete a Safeguarding Children course online and we will also invite you to attend our online volunteer tutor training session. Here, we’ll guide you through lesson planning, show you where you can find resources and share tips to make your sessions fun, engaging and effective.
How do I get started?
It’s really easy to get started. All you need to do is fill in our sign-up form online and tell us a bit about your education, your reasons for volunteering and give details of two character references. We’ll guide you through the rest from there, which will include:
- Completing our online safeguarding course – you will receive a CPD accredited certificate for this
- Attending a 2.5 hour online training session with our friendly team
- Completing a DBS check, which is organised for you by us
If you have any further questions, reach out to our friendly volunteering team via email at volunteering@theaccessproject.org.uk or visit the contact us page.
Contact info
The Access Project,
First Floor, Canopi-Borough,
7-14 Great Dover Street,
London,
SE1 4YR
020 4513 5999
info@theaccessproject.org.uk
Media enquiries:
line: 020 4513 5999 (available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm)
media@theaccessproject.org.uk
The Access Project safeguarding line: 020 4513 5999 (available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm)
NSPCC 24 hour line:
0808 800 5000
Contact info
The Access Project,
First Floor, Canopi-Borough,
7-14 Great Dover Street,
London,
SE1 4YR
020 4513 5999
info@theaccessproject.org.uk
Media enquiries:
line: 020 4513 5999 (available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm)
media@theaccessproject.org.uk
The Access Project safeguarding line: 020 4513 5999 (available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm)
NSPCC 24 hour line:
0808 800 5000