What messaging is effective in recruiting schools to take up tutoring? A randomised controlled trial of email messages to schools.

Randomised controlled trial (RCT) to examine the impact of recruitment emails containing testimonials versus empirical evidence of the benefits of tutoring on schools signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) or providing an expression of interest (EOI) to receive tutoring support for their pupils.

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN72605600

Enrollment

2000

Registered

2021-03-24

Start date

2021-02-03

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2022-04-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

To explore what works in engaging schools/senior leaders to sign up to catch-up tutoring support for their students, which provides subsidised tuition to supplement high-quality classroom teaching as a way of supporting children’s learning in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Not Applicable

Interventions

Intervention arm: Recruitment email with headteacher testimonial of the benefits of tutoring. Comparison arm: Recruitment email highlighting the empirical evidence of the benefits of t

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Primary and secondary state-funded schools (including special schools and alternative provision institutions) in Hertfordshire, Essex and North London, East of England and Suffolk

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Nursery schools and post-16 only schools will be excluded from the sample as they are not eligible to access subsidised tuition within the TP programme, which targets Year 1 to Year 11 pupils

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by school within 3 full term-time weeks of being sent email (yes/no) measured using schools records from a trial data template	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Expression of Interest (EoI) from school within 3 full term-time weeks of being sent email (yes/no) measured using schools records from a trial data template	—

Countries

England, United Kingdom

Contacts

Public ContactPippa Lord

p.lord@nfer.ac.uk+44(0)1753 574123

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026