On Air Now

60's on Sunday (Repeat)

9:00pm - 10:00pm

Volunteer teachers in North East England & Yorkshire sought to help care-experienced pupils beat the odds

As GCSE results day approaches on Thursday 21st August, a growing network of schools and teachers is proving that care-experienced young people can defy the odds with the right support.

Lumina Tutoring is committed to closing the national attainment gap and ensuring that young people, regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to thrive.  The programme is calling for teachers based in North East England & Yorkshire to commit to just 45-minutes a week to support children in care with consistent and high-quality tutoring to help them succeed academically – and beyond.

Care-experienced children face some of the steepest educational challenges in the UK. Only around 1 in 8 achieve a Grade 5 or above in English and Maths at GCSE, compared to 65% of all pupils nationally. Lumina Tutoring is seeking to change that story with the backing of a growing network of teachers and schools across the country.

“Teachers know how powerful the right support can be. When someone shows up every week to bring much-needed stability, who believes in you and knows how to help you learn despite your personal circumstances, it changes everything.” said Gitanjali Bhattacharya, director of Lumina Tutoring.

Hundreds of young people have already benefited from personalised support via Lumina. For those who participate, it is leading to improved grades, stronger engagement, and a renewed sense of confidence.

As one participating school leader put it: “In 15 years of teaching, these are the most impactful lessons that I have done. I have now tutored many different students and all have made extraordinary progress – three of my students went from failing Maths GCSE to passing and being allowed to go to the College of their choice.”

With thousands of young people across the nation preparing to find out their GCSE results, the programme is looking ahead in anticipation of those who don’t make the desired grades – and asking for more teachers to get involved in preparation for November’s resits. 

“45-minutes a week can make a life-changing difference,” said Gitanjali. “If you're a qualified teacher and want to use your skills to support a young person who needs it most, we’d love to hear from you.”

For further information, https://lumina.org.uk/        

More from From Durham OnAir

  • Learn First Aid This September

    St John Ambulance launches campaign to teach 300,000 people life-saving first aid. We go to great lengths for our loved ones – from squeezing our partner’s spots, to watching our child’s favourite film 74 times. But when it comes to learning first aid – something that could actually save a life – many of us are still putting it off.

  • Cheers to 200 Years: The Spotted Dog Marks Its Bicentennial

    The Spotted Dog Pub Celebrates 200 Years of History, Heritage and Hospitality with a long weekend of amazing food, chilled drinks, live music and more. The Spotted Dog, one of Darlington’s oldest and most cherished pubs, is raising a glass to mark 200 incredible years this August — and everyone is invited to join the celebration.

  • Historic Royal British Legion Darlington Standard unveiled in town’s central library

    An historic Standard owned by the Royal British Legion’s Darlington branch has gone on display in the town’s central library. The then-British Legion’s Darlington Branch was among the first to be established when the organisation was founded in 1921, with Standards being awarded to the main branch and to its women’s section in recognition of their new status.

  • Stock Globe celebrates 90 years with huge transformation!

    Stockton Globe, Teesside’s legendary live entertainment venue, rolled out the red carpet and a brand-new floor as it celebrated an iconic 90 years at the heart of the region’s cultural life.

  • Celtic Tunes and Ghostly Comic Capers as Autumn Events Announced

    Highlights Rural Touring Scheme is back with top quality arts performances and creative workshops in village halls and community venues across County Durham this autumn, with tickets going on sale on Monday 25 August.

Listen on the Go

Listen on the go or at home with our free smart phone app for iOS and Android devices!

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa

OnAir Today

  • 60's on Sunday (Repeat)

    9:00pm - 10:00pm

    Another chance to hear 60's on Sunday from the weekend.

  • Durham Decades - 80's

    10:00pm - Midnight

    Non-Stop music from the 1980's

  • Durham After Dark

    Midnight - 4:00am

    Smooth ballads, relaxing beats and chilled out tunes. Relax into the night with Durham OnAir

  • Wake Up Durham

    4:00am - 7:00am

    Music and news for early risers! Start the day with Just Great Music from the past 6 decades!