Online tuition: UK sees 9% rise in searches for online tuition since 2022

Oxford Home Schooling analysed 588 keywords such as ‘Online Tuition’ and ‘Online Tutoring Services’ to understand the way attitudes to online learning may have changed since the start of the 2022 academic year, the first year since the beginning of the Covid Pandemic without lockdowns disrupting the school terms.

Their analysis found that across the U.K., searches in September 2024 had risen by 9.06% from September 2022, jumping from 64,370 to 70,200. Of the individual nations, Wales saw the highest percentage increase, with numbers increasing by 21.37%, while England had the most searches accounting for 59,450 of the U.K. total.

Birmingham had the highest overall number of searches in September 2024, with 3,050 recorded during the month, despite searches rising a relatively small 4.81% compared to 2022’s 2,910. This was followed by Manchester which saw searches grow by 20.27% from 1,480 in 2022 to 1,780 in 2024.

Knowsley and Hastings saw the least searches, with both areas registering only 40 unique searches each during September 2024. Both area’s experienced falls overall with Hastings dropping 70.43% from 2022, and Knowsley falling by 60% overall.

The bottom five was rounded out by Denbigh, Epping and Richmond upon Thames, all with 50 searches. Denbigh was unique however as the only area in the bottom 5 which saw a rise, with it’s searches jumping 66.67% from the 30 recorded in September 2022.

Greg Smith of Oxford Home Schooling shared his thoughts on the results: “Although schools have been operating normally for some time now as we move further away from the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, there are plenty of reports and research that show that the educational disruption felt at that time continues to affect children in the U.K.

“It’s clear from the results that more parents across the country are seeking ways to ensure their children are getting the best support available, and potentially trying to close the gap on what may have been lost during the early stages of the pandemic.

“While schools are often stretched, it may be difficult for them to ensure that each student can receive enough personal attention when class sizes are larger, so additional tuition can definitely benefit students by allowing them to ask questions they may not be able to during classroom sessions.”