5 February 2025
The Team Behind Tute: Meet Lauren, our Student Support Associate.
Hear from Lauren about the importance of supporting students on their journey at Tute.
At Tute Education, we are committed to ensuring every student feels supported, confident, and empowered in their learning journey. Our Student Support Associate plays a vital role in providing guidance, encouragement, and practical assistance to help students overcome challenges and make the most of their education. From offering resources and advice to being a reassuring presence, they help create a positive and inclusive learning experience for all.
A day in the life of our Student Support Associate
What is your role at Tute Education? What might a typical day consist of?
My role at Tute is the Student Support Associate (SSA). The main objective of my role is to support all our students so they can achieve their full potential.
My days tend to be quite varied, but I am often providing support in lessons for students who may be facing additional challenges. Most recently I have been helping to develop our student hub and create resources for one-to-one mentoring sessions.
I work very closely with the wider Teaching and Learning team to ensure open communication, meaning we can deliver the best learning experience possible for our students.
Joining Tute
How long have you worked at Tute, and what motivated you to join the team?
I have been working with Tute since November 2024. Before this I had been working in mainstream education for nearly 15 years, both as a teacher and, more recently, delivering pastoral support.
My passion is helping students overcome challenges in life and watching them grow into successful young adults.
I love how Tute’s whole ethos is about focusing on the individual young people and delivering them an education which is tailored to their needs.
Finding inspiration in supporting students
What inspires you about working with students to support their journey at Tute?
I am passionate about making a difference to young people’s lives, helping them to succeed. Nothing makes me happier than watching a student overcome a challenge and be successful in what they are aiming for, whether that be certain grades or gaining in other skills, like resilience.
Empowering and supporting parents and carers
How do you ensure that students feel empowered and supported?
Empowering students during their learning journey involves creating an environment where they feel valued, capable, and motivated to take ownership of their education.
At Tute all our students are encouraged to see challenges as opportunities and are praised for engagement in their learning.
Students have the opportunity to access their lessons in the best way for them, whether that be utilising the public or private chat space, taking part in polls or using the other interactive features.
We recognise and celebrate all achievements and have recently launched our “just so you know” feature enabling teachers to further capture moments of success.
We ask students to provide us with feedback every half term and we make sure that we really listen to this and implement changes based on this feedback.
Adapting to diverse needs
How do you adapt your approach to meet the diverse needs of the students you work with?
When working with students I make sure I take the time to really get to know them; their interests, likes and dislikes. This allows me to recognise their unique strengths, challenges, learning styles, and backgrounds, helping me to adapt my approach in each session I work with them.
Some of the ways I change my approach might be in the language I use or helping the student by breaking down the tasks they have been set in to more manageable chunks.
I also offer opportunities for students to check in with me using the private chat feature in lessons. This means I can work with a student individually to come to a correct answer to a question without them feeling embarrassed to ask in front of the whole class. This, in turn, increases their confidence.
It really is about knowing our young people and working with them in the best way for them.
The student at the heart of Tute
What do you enjoy most about working at Tute?
Every single person I have met at Tute is driven by the same goal of providing the best outcomes possible for our students. This passion is radiated out in every conversation, meeting or communication. Young people are truly at the heart of everything we do, which very much matches my own pedagogical approach.
Life beyond Tute
What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?
Outside of work I like to read, go travelling and meeting new people.
Describing Tute
If you had to describe Tute in three words, what would they be?
Innovative, supportive and flexible.
Looking to the future
What goals or aspirations do you have for supporting students at Tute Education in the future?
Right now, I’m most excited to start my one-to-one mentoring sessions, allowing me to get to know some of our lovely students on a more personal level and helping them overcome any specific challenges they may be facing.
I’m also extremely excited about the launch of the new student hub, bringing the best of Tute to our wider student body.
Looking ahead, I am hoping to offer a homework drop-in session and some further wellbeing sessions to really enable our students to succeed.