Why Being Shortlisted for the National Tutoring Awards 2026 Belongs to Our Families
I’m not very good at talking about myself.
Ask any parent who’s sat across from me in a planning call — I’ll spend the first fifteen minutes asking about their child, their worries, what’s keeping them up at night. It takes a deliberate effort for me to shift gears and say: here’s what we do, and here’s why it works.
So writing this doesn’t come naturally. But I think it matters. And I think, if you’ll bear with me, you’ll understand why I feel this particular piece of news belongs to you as much as it does to us.
The Community Schools has been shortlisted for three categories at the National Tutoring Awards 2026: Outstanding Team Member, Private Tutoring Provider of the Year, and SME Tuition Business of the Year.
All three.
What we believed when we started — and what we still believe now
When I founded The Community Schools more than 15 years ago, I had one guiding principle. Not a business plan, not a growth strategy — a belief.
Every child deserves to feel safe while they’re learning.
Not just comfortable. Not just supported. Safe. Safe enough to say “I don’t understand.” Safe enough to get it wrong three times before they get it right. Safe enough to stop pretending and actually start learning.
Because here’s what I’ve seen, over and over again across thousands of sessions: a child who feels safe will always go further than a child who is simply pressured into performing.
That belief shaped everything — how we recruit tutors, how we structure sessions, how we speak to parents, how we measure progress. Grades matter, absolutely. But confidence comes first. Always.
The team behind the shortlist
I want to be honest about something: when I read the shortlist notification, my immediate reaction wasn’t to think about myself. It was to think about our tutors.
We have over 50 of them. All are qualified, experienced teachers — people who chose to work with us because they care about the individual child, not just the curriculum. They’re the ones who notice when a student has gone quiet. Who adjusts the session on the spot when something clearly isn’t landing. Who gives an encouraging message before a big exam because they remember how nervous that particular child gets.
One of our tutors once stayed on a call for an extra thirty minutes with an anxious Year 11 student – not because she was paid to, but because she could hear in his voice that he needed it.
That’s not in any job description. That’s just who our people are.
“They’re not just tutors – they’re mentors,” one parent told us recently. I couldn’t put it better myself.
The results that remind us why we do this
This time last year, we received a message that I’ll never forget. A parent wrote to tell us that her daughter – who had faced serious illness partway through her A levels – had secured a place at the University of Nottingham to study Economics. She got an A in Economics, a B in Maths, a B in Politics.
“Thank you for your part in her success,” her mum wrote.
Another family got in touch about their son Thomas, who achieved three A grades including Maths and earned his place at Sheffield. His dad wrote simply: “I don’t doubt the impact the additional help had in getting him across the line.”
And then there was Nessa — who went from a D in her mock to an A in Psychology, and headed to Leeds to study Business Management. Her mum told us Nessa specifically asked her to contact the tutor on results day to say thank you.
These aren’t marketing stories. They’re real families, real children, real moments of relief and pride. And behind every single one of them is a tutor who showed up, week after week, and chose to genuinely care.
What happens on 3rd July
The National Tutoring Awards Gala takes place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 3rd July 2026. It’s black tie, it’s an extraordinary room full of people who are passionate about education, and I’ll be there with some of our team – slightly nervous, deeply grateful, and already proud regardless of the outcome.
Because the shortlist itself says something important: that a small, independent tutoring organisation in Suffolk – built on warmth, expertise, and an unshakeable belief in every child’s potential – is being recognised alongside the biggest names in the sector.
That means something.
Thank you
If you’re a family who has trusted us with your child — whether for one term or for six years — this shortlist is yours too.
You chose us not because we were the flashiest option, but because something about our approach felt right. Because you wanted your child to feel supported, not just taught. Because you believed, as we do, that the way a child feels about learning shapes everything that comes after.
Thank you for that belief. It’s what built everything you’re reading about right now.
If you’d like to find out more about our programmes for September 2026, I’d love to have a conversation.
👉 Book a free 20-minute planning call with Claire:
By Claire, Founder & Lead Tutor — The Community Schools