Miriam Hartley

I oversee every learning plan we write. Before a plan goes to parents, I read it. I check that the targets are small enough to teach, that the first few lessons make sense and that the plan says what we will do if a pupil finds a topic hard. Then I keep an eye on how it is going, usually by reading tutor notes and asking the parent a direct question at the next review.

My own background is in primary classrooms and special educational needs support. I started this service because I met too many pupils who had decided they were "bad at maths" or "no good at English" after one rushed term. That judgement is rarely fair. An initial assessment should find the gap, not label the child. I sit with the tutor's findings, look at a piece of work and ask what the pupil can already do. The plan grows from there, and parents see it before the first lesson.

We are a small team of qualified primary and KS3 teachers, and every tutor is DBS-checked. I do not teach every subject myself, but I read every plan and every progress report before it goes out. If a tutor suggests more practice, I ask what will be dropped that week. Pupils are not machines. A plan should fit around school, sleep and the walk home.