Teachers set up online tutoring service

Two Edinburgh teachers have set up an online tutoring company to help Scottish pupils impacted by the pandemic.

Brothers-in-law Iain Thomson and Craig Downie have established EH5 Learning to support learners regardless of where they are on their educational journey.

The pair embarked on the project after it became clear during lockdown that youngsters were falling behind in their lessons through no fault of their own.

The online educational platform allows access to a range of professionals with expertise at all levels of the school curriculum.

“These continue to be uncertain and worrying times for everybody but particularly for those at school,” said Iain, who has been a teacher for 16 years, most recently at Queensferry High School.

“We have set up the company with the aim of supporting these young people as much as possible, to give them the best chance of achieving their full academic potential.”

A substantial investment has been made in the online platform to help create a safe, secure and engaging learning environment where the young person can thrive no matter what age or stage they are at within their learning journey.

The platform has a range of tools that allows a variety of subjects to be catered for and EH5 Learning works at primary level right through to advanced higher at secondary school. A range of topics is covered from traditional maths and English through to science and physical education.

With tutors based all over the country including Aberdeen, Galashiels, Dunfermline, Glasgow and Edinburgh, a key element of the platform is that it can be accessed anywhere in Scotland from the comfort of the learner’s own home.  

While expansion across the whole of the UK is the ultimate goal, the initial focus is on the Scottish curriculum and supporting the young people of Scotland, particularly with it looking more and more likely that continuous assessment will be a core element of education in years to come.

“EH5 Learning looks to support the excellent work the teachers do within the classroom setting and works alongside schools, families and young people to ensure the support the learner is receiving is tailored to the specific individual needs,” added Iain, whose brother-in-law is Depute Head Teacher at Wallace High School, Stirling.

 “We are very excited at having the opportunity to make a difference to the education of our young people in Scotland.”

Free introductory sessions are available and parents interested in booking a tutor for their children can do so by following the link  www.eh5learning.com/find-a-tutor/