Award-Winning Online Learning Service Fills Education Gap with £250,000 Investment

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Development Bank of Wales , 27th February 2023

Online learning providers Tute are expanding their offering for children and young people throughout Wales and England with a £250,000 investment by the Development Bank of Wales.

Based at Wrexham Technology Park, Tute’s qualified, experienced teachers deliver live online lessons to fill gaps in the education of children and young people across key stages 1-5. This includes delivering alternative provision, tuition, revision, functional skills courses, and full GCSEs and A levels to support local authorities, schools and non-mainstream settings to fulfil their statutory duties.

The team at Tute

With over 120,000 lessons delivered to date across more than 30 subject areas, Tute has taught some 18,000 students in more than 800 education settings in the ten years since the business was first set up in 2012. The £250,000 from the Development Bank of Wales will now be used to invest in further resources and enhancements to the Tute technology platform.

Managing Director Vanessa Leach said:

“With exponential growth in the last four years, we’re on a mission to create a world where online learning enables any child, anywhere to fulfil their potential. We want all students to engage and achieve in a high quality, rich and inclusive curriculum.

“The last ten years have included lots of ups and downs but we are now confident that we have the right team and infrastructure to take the business forward and achieve further growth. This investment by the Development Bank gives us the working capital to continue to invest in our technology and our resources with the recruitment of more teaching and operational staff as we strive to be the first-choice online teaching partner for schools, local authorities, and non-mainstream settings throughout Wales and England.”

Chris Hayward is an Investment Executive with the Development Bank of Wales. He said:

“Vanessa and the team at Tute make teaching available to all, irrespective of location or background. They are renowned for the quality of their delivery and their commitment to the student as evidenced in the excellent outcomes the students achieve.

“The education landscape has changed with schools now managing more challenging behaviours; increased numbers of children and young people experiencing barriers to learning; and a large cohort of students who have fallen behind age-related expectations. The demand for online provision is therefore greater than ever which means the time is right for Tute to scale up and deliver more much-needed online learning.”

The loan for Tute came from the £500 million Wales Flexible Investment Fund which is financed by the Welsh Government. Loans, mezzanine finance and equity investments from £25,000 to £10 million are available for Welsh businesses with terms of up to 15 years.

Mae darparwyr dysgu ar-lein Tute yn ehangu’r hyn a gynigir ganddynt i blant a phobl ifanc ledled Cymru a Lloegr gyda buddsoddiad o £250,000 gan Fanc Datblygu Cymru.

Wedi'u lleoli ym Mharc Technoleg Wrecsam, mae athrawon cymwys, profiadol Tute yn cyflwyno gwersi byw ar-lein i lenwi bylchau yn addysg plant a phobl ifanc ar draws cyfnodau allweddol 1-5. Mae hyn yn cynnwys darparu darpariaeth amgen, hyfforddiant, adolygu, cyrsiau sgiliau swyddogaethol, a TGAU a Safon Uwch llawn i gefnogi awdurdodau lleol, ysgolion a lleoliadau nad ydynt yn brif ffrwd i gyflawni eu dyletswyddau statudol.

Gyda dros 120,000 o wersi wedi'u darparu hyd yma ar draws mwy na 30 o feysydd pwnc, mae Tute wedi addysgu tua 18,000 o fyfyrwyr mewn mwy nag 800 o leoliadau addysg yn y deng mlynedd ers sefydlu'r busnes gyntaf yn 2012. Bydd y £250,000 gan Fanc Datblygu Cymru yn bellach yn cael ei ddefnyddio i fuddsoddi mewn adnoddau a gwelliannau pellach i lwyfan technoleg Tute.

Dywedodd y Rheolwr Gyfarwyddwr Vanessa Leach:

“Gyda thwf esbonyddol yn y pedair blynedd diwethaf, rydym yn benderfynol o greu byd lle mae dysgu ar-lein yn galluogi unrhyw blentyn, unrhyw le i gyflawni ei botensial. Rydym am i bob myfyriwr ymgysylltu a chyflawni cwricwlwm cyfoethog a chynhwysol o ansawdd uchel.

“Mae’r deng mlynedd diwethaf wedi cynnwys llawer o bethau da a drwg ond rydym bellach yn hyderus bod gennym y tîm a’r seilwaith cywir i symud y busnes yn ei flaen a chyflawni twf pellach. Mae’r buddsoddiad hwn gan y Banc Datblygu yn rhoi’r cyfalaf gweithio i ni allu parhau i fuddsoddi yn ein technoleg a’n hadnoddau gyda recriwtio mwy o staff addysgu a gweithredol wrth i ni ymdrechu i fod y partner addysgu ar-lein dewis cyntaf ar gyfer ysgolion, awdurdodau lleol, a sefydliadau nad ydynt yn lleoliadau prif ffrwd ledled Cymru a Lloegr.”

Mae Chris Hayward yn Swyddog Buddsoddi gyda Banc Datblygu Cymru. Meddai:

“Mae Vanessa a’r tîm yn Tute yn sicrhau bod addysgu ar gael i bawb, waeth beth fo’u lleoliad neu gefndir. Maent yn enwog am ansawdd yr hyn a gyflwynir ganddynt ac am eu hymrwymiad i'r myfyriwr fel y gwelir yn y canlyniadau rhagorol y mae'r myfyrwyr yn eu cyflawni.

“Mae'r dirwedd addysg wedi newid gydag ysgolion bellach yn rheoli ymddygiadau mwy heriol; niferoedd cynyddol o blant a phobl ifanc sy'n profi rhwystrau i ddysgu; a charfan fawr o fyfyrwyr sydd wedi disgyn y tu ôl i ddisgwyliadau sy’n gysylltiedig ag oedran. Mae’r galw am ddarpariaeth ar-lein felly yn fwy nag erioed sy’n golygu bod yr amser yn iawn i Tute gynyddu a darparu mwy o ddysgu ar-lein y mae mawr ei angen.”

Daeth y benthyciad ar gyfer Tute o Gronfa Buddsoddi Hyblyg Cymru gwerth £500 miliwn a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Mae benthyciadau, cyllid mesanîn a buddsoddiadau ecwiti rhwng £25,000 a £10 miliwn ar gael i fusnesau Cymreig gyda thelerau o hyd at 15 mlynedd.