KIP McGrath Saddleworth is going from strength to strength – so much so that it’s now setting its sights on expanding into Tameside with a pop-up tutoring centre.
It’s also extending its offering of GCSE English and Maths classes, as well as introducing Science – initially for Year 10s and Year 11s, but potentially to other year groups too depending on interest.
The thriving education centre in Grotton is run by Claire Dunkerley and James Moulding, alongside a team of three tutors which will become five in September. Of the two new starters, one will specialise in science while the other is a retiring headteacher with experience across both primary and secondary education.
The centre is working closely with Positive Steps in Oldham, which runs the Empower Oldham project aimed at helping students who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
“There’s a lot of students who, for one reason or another, haven’t taken their GCSEs or, if they have, they haven’t got a pass grade that they needed,” explained Claire.
“There’s a lot of students who didn’t complete full-time education, especially after Covid, which has had a massive impact.
“After the disruption of the pandemic, a lot of students who suffer with anxiety have struggled with going back to school and cannot manage that mainstream school classroom environment.
“They have found that coming to us in small groups is really working for them. It’s not a formal school environment – if a student needs a five-minute brain break, they can just take it.”
Aided by the team’s personalised and flexible approach, several students have achieved tangible success – including Ella Kiss, who passed her English and Maths qualifications.
Kip McGrath Saddleworth offers functional skills courses – which are equivalent to GCSEs – and alternative provision, not just for those referred by Positive Steps but also for homeschooled students.
Claire and James – both from Saddleworth – have years of teaching experience, including in supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Their provision includes a 48-lesson bundle where students can undertake online-based lessons in school holidays at a time that suits them.
“You get a three-week period in which to do the lesson which is done online and also supports revision skills,” said James.
“It helps to ensure that learning isn’t lost because there’s lots of studies that show that a high percentage of learning gets lost during the holidays, especially over summer.
“It’s very flexible and can be done at parents’ discretion, so whatever suits them and their lifestyles best.”
As well as having the three-classroom site at the corner of Station Road and Oldham Road in Grotton, they are planning to expand further by setting up at least one temporary base in Tameside before potentially opening a permanent centre in the borough.
“We are looking at venues where we could set up a pop-up centre which we could run for 12 months to see how it goes before deciding if it’s the right location and whether to expand it into a full-blown business,” James said.
“Tameside is such a huge area so running out of a temporary location would let us test the waters and find the right spot. It might be a case of trying two different ones to begin with, seeing how it goes and what the uptake is like and then, if one’s particularly thriving, maybe expand that to more days.”
Kip McGrath Saddleworth’s impact extends beyond the classroom, as they’ve also been recognised as a High Performing Centre in the UK for their educational work and community involvement.
They recently supported the Whit Friday Brass Band Contests by sponsoring Dobcross Youth Band, and plan to support them again during the festive period. They’ve also sponsored the children’s party at Mossley AFC, regularly support the Saddleworth Olympics and hope to back other local sports teams soon.
In the classroom, a mixture of traditional paper-based tasks and innovative tech-driven activities helps create a dynamic learning environment. Students are now benefiting from a more modernised system, including digital avatars and, soon, an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to support homework.
“We’ve moved over to a more modernised version of the system, which is being updated all the time,” explained James.
“It’s got a much wider range of activities and also now includes avatars that children can edit, these are 3D character models akin to those in a video game, which appeals to a lot of the children.
“An AI assistant is also being rolled out, which is based on our Monty Mouse mascot which can guide the children towards solutions if they’re doing a piece of homework. They can ask it a question but it won’t just give them the answer – it will give a similar example, explain it and coach them through it.”
Claire said the students enjoy using computers in lessons and are also very driven by rewards.
“We give out Kip points, medals, key rings and trophies,” she stated. “We’ve added trophies because we felt that previously children didn’t have a next level to go to if they had reached a certain point.
“Now we’ve got extra trophies with extra rewards and it does keep pushing children to keep working.
“Every week when they bring their homework back, they get stickers and when they have five stickers, they get a little prize which they love.
“We also have vouchers to give out which incentivizes them and a Student of the Month, which is picked by us and the tutors. The monthly trophy has to be returned but every winner gets put forward for the Student of the Year trophy, which they get to keep.”
Most students attend Kip McGrath once a week – usually between the ages of five and 16 – although older students also attend for GCSE Maths resits. Every child is assessed and supported individually to help build their confidence, with the option to progress to formal qualifications.
A key part of their success lies in the practical, real-life focus of their teaching resources.
“The way functional skills are structured is more suitable. In GCSE English for example, a 19th century text doesn’t interest many students whereas functional skills is like writing a letter of complaint to a council – which is non-fiction and far more practical,” James outlined.
“The reading paper is a lot more structured. A GCSE question could say you’ve got to earn eight marks and you need to understand how the marks work to get them. Whereas, the reading paper is very clear and transparent, such as a two-mark question like find a similarity and a difference – you get one mark for each.
“Similarly, the maths paper is more contextual and presents a set of problems such as how much paint you need to buy a house by working out the volume and the cost – which again is very relatable and doesn’t put up a barrier for these children who quite often have not accessed school because it just doesn’t work for them.”
As Kip McGrath Saddleworth continues to grow and adapt to the changing needs of learners, its future – in both Saddleworth and Tameside – looks bright.
If you live in Saddleworth or Tameside and your child needs help to improve or extend their learning, you can find more information on the Kip McGrath Saddleworth website at https://www.kipmcgrath.co.uk/saddleworth or on their Facebook page.
To get in touch with any questions or to make a booking, call James or Claire on 01457 879030 or email saddleworth@kipmcgrath.co.uk
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