Bottisham Village College is an ambitious school serving the rural communities of East Cambridgeshire, with a clear vision “to inspire, to care for and to enrich the lives of every student.” Having reached its full capacity of 1,500 students, the College places well-being at the heart of everything it does, believing students thrive when they feel happy, supported and cared for.
While pupils benefit from a broad curriculum and strong academic outcomes, recent Ofsted feedback highlighted the need for more consistent support for students with SEND. This has since become a strategic priority, driving the College to seek flexible, targeted external support to ensure vulnerable learners can build confidence and make meaningful progress.
Tutor Doctor and Bottisham Village College: A Trusted Partnership Since 2018
Tutor Doctor first began working with Bottisham Village College in 2018 as an approved Alternative Provision provider through Cambridgeshire County Council. Since then, the partnership has grown steadily in both scale and impact. Over the past seven years, Tutor Doctor has delivered almost 3,000 hours of tuition to more than 50 students, providing targeted academic support and working closely with key staff across the school, particularly the Alternative Provision and SEND teams.
Support has been provided for students in Year 7 through to Year 11, with tuition delivered in school, at home, and online to meet individual needs arising from illness, anxiety, exclusion, suspension and special educational needs. Provision has focused primarily on core subjects including English, Maths tuition, and Science, with recent programmes concentrating on GCSE tuition for Year 11 students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to support exam preparation and confidence at this critical stage.
The partnership expanded significantly in 2021 through the National Tutoring Programme, where Tutor Doctor was accredited as a National Tuition Partner and supported disadvantaged students post-COVID. Although government funding has since reduced, Bottisham has continued to invest in Tutor Doctor’s provision, recognising the value of targeted, flexible tuition and how to support students academically through personalised intervention for its most vulnerable learners.
Efficient, Accountable and Human: A True Extension of the School Team
Tutor Doctor operates as an extension of the school team, combining robust systems with a genuinely human approach. Every programme is designed to deliver the right outcomes for students while working efficiently within the realities of a busy school environment and supporting schools in how to support students academically.
Each programme begins with detailed input from the school’s lead contact to ensure a clear understanding of student needs, objectives and constraints. At Bottisham Village College, this work is overseen by Belinda Davidson, Tutor Doctor’s dedicated Schools Coordinator.
Acting as a single point of accountability, Belinda manages each programme end-to-end, ensuring tutors are carefully matched, fully briefed and effectively timetabled. This level of coordination is particularly valuable at Bottisham Village College, where a fortnightly timetable adds additional complexity. Tutor Doctor works most closely with the SEN and Alternative
Provision teams and provides comprehensive student briefs and tutor biographies, giving the school confidence that each tutor is the right fit academically and personally.
Safeguarding and compliance are embedded into every aspect of delivery. All tutors who work with Tutor Doctor hold an up-to-date DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate and complete regular Safeguarding and Prevent training, working in line with the latest “Keeping Children Safe in Education” (KCSiE) guidance. Clear internal protocols ensure that any safeguarding concerns are logged and managed by Tutor Doctor’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, with appropriate communication involving the school and local authority where required. This rigorous framework allows schools to work with Tutor Doctor with confidence, knowing that both student well-being and operational standards are fully protected.
Flexible Delivery, Built Around Student Needs
Tutor Doctor works flexibly across both in-person and online delivery, selecting the approach that best meets each student’s needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model. At Bottisham Village College, this flexibility has been essential in supporting students with varying levels of need, attendance patterns and timetabling constraints, while maintaining consistency, safeguarding and quality across all provision.
In-Person Tuition at Bottisham Village College
In recent years, the majority of Tutor Doctor’s work at Bottisham Village College has been delivered in person, either on site or in students’ homes locally. This reflects both the needs of the students and the school’s preference for face-to-face support where possible.
To meet this demand, Tutor Doctor carried out a dedicated recruitment drive across the east of Cambridge, building a strong local team of tutors who regularly support students at the school. In-person tuition is primarily delivered in Maths, English, and Science, with tutors experienced in working with students with special educational needs.
This local and consistent in-person presence has enabled continuity, stronger relationships and effective collaboration with school staff.
Online Tuition with Bottisham Village College via Tutor Doctor and LessonSpace
In some cases, online tuition provides the most effective solution, particularly where timetabling is complex or when a student’s needs require a highly specific tutor match. Tutor Doctor delivers virtual tuition through Lessonspace, a secure one-to-one platform that allows tutors to pre-load materials and tailor sessions precisely to each student’s goals.
Sessions typically last one hour, with a full timetable agreed in advance with all parties. Tuition remains fully personalised, supporting subject knowledge, exam skills and broader study skills. Every session is recorded, providing clear safeguarding oversight and allowing students to revisit learning over time. Recordings also enable Tutor Doctor’s Schools Coordinator and Bottisham staff to review engagement, content coverage and overall progress, strengthening transparency and accountability.
Measurable Impact Through Consistent GCSE, EHCP & SEND Support
During the 2024/25 academic year, Tutor Doctor supported 28 students at Bottisham Village College through a combination of in-person and online tuition. The cohort reflected a range of needs, with a strong focus on GCSE students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and targeted SEND tuition.
Programmes were led on the school side by Claire Stanyer, SENCo, who prioritised students lacking confidence going into GCSE examinations and working below expected grades.
Attendance was a key focus for both Bottisham Village College and Tutor Doctor, particularly for students not regularly attending school. Tutor Doctor’s online portal enabled daily attendance to be recorded and shared, ensuring the School Attendance Officer had clear, up-to-date information.
Claire and her team were provided with secure log-ins to the Tutor Doctor portal, allowing them to monitor attendance and review detailed session reports. Tutors completed a report after every session using Tutor Doctor’s ABCD framework, covering Attendance, Being Engaged, Content and Do Next. This structured reporting supported transparency, accountability and informed ongoing academic support.
“Our students engaged well and commented that the tutors were friendly and understood their needs.”
– Claire Stanyer, SENCo, Bottisham Village College
Building on Success: Continuing to Support Bottisham Village College’s Most Vulnerable Learners
As our trusted partnership continues into the 2025/26 academic year, Bottisham Village College remains a close and valued partner for Tutor Doctor in Cambridge. The school continues to commission both in-person and online tuition for students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and those requiring alternative provision.
While the core focus remains on Maths, English and Science, Tutor Doctor has also supported students in subjects including Physical Education, History and Music, reflecting the breadth and flexibility of the provision. Further programmes are planned that focus on developing students’ wider study skills, with Tutor Doctor supporting homework routines, revision strategies and exam preparation.
Tutor Doctor is proud to work in such a valued partnership with Bottisham Village College, supporting a broad range of learners and contributing to outcomes that extend beyond academic attainment. The trust placed in Tutor Doctor to deliver across multiple programmes is a testament to the strength, consistency and collaborative nature of the relationship. As our partnership with Bottisham Village College proves, schools seeking a tuition partner that combines rigour, safeguarding and collaboration in how to support students academically, Tutor Doctor offers a proven and scalable solution to help students thrive.
Are you a school looking for academic support that meets the needs of your vulnerable learners? Tutor Doctor offers personalised tuition, focusing on SEND students, GCSE preparation, and study skills support. Find your nearest location today to explore how we can help your students achieve their full potential!
