QMU tutor project nominated for Herald Higher Education Award
A tutoring project which has helped hundreds of senior school pupils across East and Midlothian catch up with learning lost during the pandemic has made it into the finals of the prestigious Herald Higher Education Awards.
Queen Margaret University’s partnership project with the STV Children’s Appeal, the Enhanced Learning Tutoring Initiative (ELTI), has been shortlisted in this year’s Herald Higher Education Awards, which celebrate the extraordinary initiatives organised by universities and colleges across Scotland.
ELTI was established in 2020 by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (QMU), as a response to the impact that Covid-19 school closures were having upon disadvantaged young people living in local communities, demonstrating the value of tutoring for these groups.
Now in its final year, ELTI is Scotland’s largest tutoring project, supporting 300 pupils per week, and offering 1-2-1 and small group tutoring sessions in East Lothian and Midlothian secondary schools. It also offers tutoring to community organisations working with disengaged young people.
Since its inception, over 1,000 young people have been supported through this collaborative project with East Lothian and Midlothian Councils, with research showing that 70% of those who have been through the tutoring process have maintained or improved their predicted exam performance.
2024 marks the ninth year of the Herald Higher Education Awards, with entries from educational institutions across Scotland continuing to grow. This year the panel of expert judges had to work their way through 120 submissions in order to come up with a shortlist that reflects the high standards and exceptional achievements of Scotland’s higher education sector.
It’s an accolade to all involved in the ELTI project to be nominated in the ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community’ category this year and we look forward to finding out the results at the Awards ceremony on 28th May in Glasgow.
