Wow! What a year! Our success in 2017 wouldn’t have been possible without our inspiring tutors, enthusiastic students and committed team. So first and foremost, thank you.
This timeline breaks down our top achievements month by month, awards, articles published, and even a tot up of the tonnes of coffee consumed at Tutorful HQ…
OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS
OVER 30,000 STUDENTS HELPED
10,000 LIVE TUTORS
18 NEW HQ STAFF MEMBERS
5,000 CUPS OF COFFEE (give or take a couple)
3 PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS
THE TIMELINE
JANUARY
TOP COMPANY NEWS
All aboard the Marketing train
Our Marketing Manager, Giorgio, and SEO wiz Matt joined Tutorful at the beginning of the year – on a mission to spread the word about our intuitive marketplace. They are now joined by Rachael and Dom, contributing towards our impressive yearly growth and allowing us to facilitate the learning of many more students across the country.
February
TOP COMPANY NEWS
Expanding development team improves user experience
Mike, AKA Head of the Devs, AKA King of Code (I can go on) joined the team back in early 2017 to make our website the very best it can be. He was joined this year by Rick, Chris, Luke and Pedro to improve online features to make finding, contacting and meeting your perfect tutor not only possible, but simple and effective!
EDUCATION NEWS FLASH
Article: The 3 Key Components To Choosing A Music Teacher
Finding a music tutor can be a daunting task. It’s exciting for them to begin learning to play an instrument yet it’s also incredibly stressful to find a quality music teacher who’s serious about ensuring your child succeeds with their instrument. Fortunately, we’ve had plenty of experience on both sides of the table… Read more.
March
TOP COMPANY NEWS
Tutorful crowdfund campaign a huge success
In February, we doubled our initial target to crowd-fund an astounding PS750,000, furthering the rapid growth of the company. The new funding enabled us to create new jobs and continue to improve the learning experience of thousands more students across the UK.
New staff contribute to an improved online and customer experience
Hannah and Luke took their seats on the Education Advisor team table in March – both super friendly, with infectious smiles to match. They are now joined by Rebecca, Nikesh, April, Emily, Sophia and Megan, all on hand to answer all student and tutor queries in detail so the Tutorful learning process continues to run as smoothly as possible for students and tutors alike!
EDUCATION NEWS FLASH
Article: Classroom Tech – How Virtual Reality is Helping to Bring Learning to Life
The way that we learn has evolved over time, from philosophers passing on their secrets via word of mouth to the invention of the Gutenberg press and the rise of the World Wide Web… Read more.
April
TOP COMPANY NEWS
Get Kids Out Learning campaign launch
Did you know that on average, students lose an average of 1.8 months of progress over the summer?
The inspiration for Get Kids Out Learning came from seeing that many children slip backwards in their learning away from the classroom.
After seeing such great success over the summer months we’re now continuing Get Kids Out Learning all year round, and what better way for young people learn outside school, than to get out and about visiting places to inspire their young minds… Find out more.
TUTORFUL AWARDS
Article: The 82 Hottest EdTech Tools of 2017 According to Education Experts
We asked some of the best and brightest in education for their opinions on the hottest EdTech of 2017. These guys are the real deal – experts in education, teaching and new tech from all over the world.They’ve given us a list of 82 amazing, tried and tested tools that they absolutely could not live without as education professionals… Read more.
May
TOP COMPANY NEWS
Tutorful rank in the famous Startups100 list
The Starups100 is the longest-running index of the best new businesses, showcasing the best fast-growing start-ups with uniquely inspiring stories. Certainly a proud moment for us all here at Tutorful – a big thank you to all who made this possible… Read more.
EDUCATION NEWS FLASH
Article: Three exercises to manage your mental fitness when you feel the exam pressure rising
In this article we share three things you can do to support your mental health whilst you study, and three steps to take if you feel your stress levels are rising and affecting your ability to study…
TUTORFUL GUIDES
How To Keep Kids Safe Online
The internet has transformed the way we all live, learn and communicate. For children and young people the digital revolution has created so many opportunities. But it has also created risks. For every new piece of technology a new danger may present itself in a way that children, families and society may not immediately understand… Read more.
June
TUTORFUL AWARDS
Article: The 90 Best Children’s Books of 2017
If you’re a parent or teacher, stuck with how to keep your kids busy over the coming months (or maybe you just want to unglue them from their phones!) then look no further. There are enough books here to keep even the busiest reader occupied for a while to come… Read more.
TUTORFUL GUIDES
The Ultimate Revision Guide
With exams just around the corner, revision is on everyone’s mind, but the real question is ‘What are the best revision tips?’
Exam periods can be scary times, the grades you get can affect what you go on to do in later life, which can lead you to stress over the grades you’ll get. The best way to ensure you achieve your potential is to revise, make sure you retain the information you’ve been taught and know how to implement the knowledge that you have… Read more.
July
TUTORFUL GUIDES
How To Become A Tutor: A Guide On Starting A Tuition Business
Are you in between jobs and looking for a challenge? Are you taking a career break but still want to earn some extra cash? Are you working in a dull, under-paid position that you just don’t like? Or are you a highly educated student who is tired of working in a bar… Read more.
August
TOP COMPANY NEWS
Tutorful HQ: Round 2
With our team here in Sheffield expanding to make way for more tutors and students, we decided to make the move into town into bigger, bolder (and brighter!) offices in S1. With yellow walls, snazzy sofas, and lots of plants, there’s happy faces all round, even on Mondays!
A new face for the Tutorful Blog and Guides
Rachael (that’s me) joined Tutorful in August, tackling all things content. From writing shiny blog posts like this one, to our in depth educational guides – I’m currently focussing on ways to make sure all of our tutors and students have a go-to destination for their daily educational updates, and answers to all their burning ed-related questions.
September
TUTORFUL AWARDS
Article: The Best School Backpacks of 2017
Whether you’re traipsing around the internet for a cute bag for a tot, or looking to up your cool with our top picks for teens – we’ve got you covered with our list of the best backpacks for kids, teens and even backpacks for adults. Plus, with our Tutorful review system, we’re confident you’ll find everything you need from a new backpack in the article… Read more.
October
TOP COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Say hello to the Online Classroom!
A recent study by the Sutton Trust has revealed that 1 in 3 children in the UK receive some form of tutoring. The sprawling tuition industry has remained relatively unchanged for many years, with an over-reliance on word-of mouth referrals, local agencies and directory-style listing sites.
Our latest addition of Online Tutoring allows parents a more informed choice in finding help for their children.
Welcome to the Product Team
It’s fair to say Pete is a dab hand at design, so we were thrilled when he joined Tutorful as User Experience Designer in October. Alongside long-standing Tutorful expert Faye, the Product Team was born – 100% dedicated to improving the website and developing new features to help even more learners achieve their goals.
EDUCATION NEWS FLASH
Is it ever too early for students to start planning for the future?
Benjamin Franklin once said “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. In other words, by disregarding the importance of preparing for the future you in danger of your future being a failure. If now isn’t the time to prepare for your future, when will it be…
November
TOP COMPANY NEWS
Tutorful wins the 2017 Northern Stars Awards
Northern Stars is the UK’s most exciting pitch competition to find and showcase the best tech startups in the North of England. We faced tough competition in each heat, but were humbled to take the top accolade in this years prestigious awards!
EDUCATION NEWS FLASH
6 Challenges Tutors Face (And How to Overcome Them)
Tutoring can be a challenging job. However, if a tutor understands the challenges they may face, overcoming each hurdle gets so much easier. Every student arrives at tutoring sessions with some prior knowledge, experience, and skills. It’s the tutor’s job to find out what the student already knows and which skills he or she needs to develop to meet their academic goals… Read more.
December
TOP COMPANY NEWS
Tutora Becomes Tutorful!
We believe that learning is wonderful. We are Tutorful. The transition from Tutora to Tutorful was undoubtably the grand finale to 2017. Intrigued? Read our story.
TUTORFUL AWARDS
60 Awesome Educational Apps You Need To Download Now
Educational Apps are rapidly overtaking text books and literature to become the go-to way to grasp new ideas, revise subjects and learn more about the fascinating world we live in.
Hundreds of educational apps were recommended to us by adults, students and children alike. We tried and tested every Apple and Android app, researched their educational benefits, and shortlisted our 60 top educational apps for all ages…
TUTORFUL GUIDES
A Complete University Application Guide: More Offers, No More Stress
This year, we collaborated with the Mental Health Foundation to produce a complete guide to university applications. We help you clearly understand each part of the process, reduce study related anxieties, increase your chances of getting offers, and ultimately give you more time to focus on the most important thing: your well-being… Read more.
That’s all, folks!
We hope you continue to follow us on our journey, and we hope to help you every step of the way on yours. There’s only one more thing to say… have a Tutorful day!
