Award-winning SEN tuition trusted by many local authorities

Bright Heart supports local authorities (LAs) and schools seeking alternative provision (AP) for children and young people:

Bright Heart focuses on students with learning challenges or social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. We cover the entire curriculum from Reception to A-level and offer adult support. We offer supplementary tuition and interim education.

In addition, we provide help with lifelong skills, including study techniques and transition into adulthood.

Nurturing approach

Bright Heart offers a nurturing, student-centred approach. This helps build rapport, confidence and motivation with warmth, resulting in improved engagement and attendance. This leads to improved academic results and successful outcomes.

Why work with Bright Heart

Specialist SEN tutoring agency
Specialist SEN tutors with SEN experience and SEN / person-centred training from Nasen
Robust safeguarding and safer recruitment, with staff/tutors comprehensively trained
Passed stringent QA reviews as an NTP Tuition Partner (2021 – 2024) and AP provider to many LAs
We meet all our tutors in person before any tutoring takes place
Consultation with an education consultant (with QTS) to fully understand students’ needs
Individual learning plans (ILPs) with SEMH and SMART academic targets for each student
Lesson reports tracking attendance, engagement and ILP targets are provided after each lesson
Education consultants oversee provisions, including attending annual review meetings
Refundable trial lessons to ensure a potential tutor and student are a good match
Our nurturing approach increases engagement, boosting learning and confidence
Recognised at the National Tutoring Awards (2025/4/3/2), Nasen Awards (2021/20), and EducationInvestor Awards (2025)

LA enquiry form / Referral form

Secure your AP today!

Complete the form or call Ryan on 0208 064 3800.

To refer a student, call Carol/Rosie on 0208 064 3800 or email councils@brightheart.co.uk, or complete the:

How we work

Bright Heart’s experienced team is passionate about helping students achieve their potential.

Our education consultants – each with qualified teacher status (QTS) – take the time to fully understand students’ unique learning needs and ensure they receive well-matched tutors.

Students receive individual learning plans (ILPs) that cater to their academic and SEMH needs. ILPs help keep learning and transition plans on track. An education consultant oversees each provision.

Our tutors have the patience, understanding and experience to ensure that sensitive learning situations are handled with care. Tutors embody Bright Heart’s student-centred approach, taking the time to listen and connect to students.

Detailed process

Bright Heart provisions typically include:

1. Introductory discussion

The assigned client manager holds discussions with parents/carers and the LA caseworker to better understand the student’s needs, barriers to learning, learning preferences, and interests.

2. Detailed documentary reviews

Reviews by the assigned education consultant, who holds QTS, for example, EHCPs.

3. Detailed consultation

The assigned education consultant conducts a consultation with the LA caseworker, parents/carers and other relevant practitioners, for example, a social worker to ascertain additional details to the EHCP, consider safeguarding risks, and understand the student’s unique needs and learning styles.

4. Matching to an appropriately experienced and qualified tutor

Tutors are carefully matched following a consultation, with all tutors subject to a recruitment process.

5. Risk assessments

Risk assessments cover general risks and the learning environment.

6. Fully refundable trial lesson

This is to ensure the student and tutor are a good potential match, with both parties able to decline to proceed following the trial.

7. Preparation of an Individual Learning Plan (ILP)

An ILP is prepared by the education consultant and tutor, covering SEMH targets, academic SMART goals, and goals for Positive Destination / Transition, tracked against actual outcomes to ensure a successful provision, with oversight from the education consultant.

8. Monitoring and reporting of attendance

Attendance is tracked and reported per specific requirements, with action taken to address attendance issues.

9. Lesson reporting / monitoring after each lesson

Lesson reports include tracking student engagement and whether targets per the ILP are on track. Reports also cover learning objectives, a description of the session, comments about the session, comments about the student, comments on lesson outcomes, and comments if engagement / targets are flagged. Reports are all reviewed by the assigned education consultant, with appropriate follow-up action taken where necessary.

10. Attendance at meetings

The assigned education consultant attends meetings, for example, PEP meetings, annual reviews and CP (Child Protection) conferences by the assigned education consultant and safeguarding team where necessary. We provide an updated ILP before key meetings to help summarise progress.

11. Reviews of tutor performance

Reviews are conducted per a formal tutor evaluation tool. Education consultants provide guidance and support for tutors, with tutors receiving training from Nasen (compulsory) and TES CPD (optional), in addition to compulsory in-house and third-party safeguarding training. Tutors can be replaced where necessary, and the first lesson is a fully refundable trial.

12. Support with any exam bookings and post-provision transition

Education consultants offer support with any exam bookings and post-provision transition. Bright Heart can also offer AQA’s Unit Award Scheme (UAS) and ASDAN qualifications for students not ready to sit formal exams.

Case Studies

A young adult with ASC and Down’s syndrome (Achieving for Children – Kingston upon Thames LA)

In October 2022, Bright Heart was asked to support G, a student with complex needs who had suffered very negative experiences in his previous placement. He was excluded from education due to challenging behaviour.

A Bright Heart education consultant provided an in-depth consultation in October to understand G’s needs, especially the causes of the challenging behaviour, so that we could create a safe learning environment. This included getting insight from parents, the LA and other professionals.

Following a risk assessment, it was agreed that the provision would start 1:1 at home, and then be assessed to determine whether a 2:1 was necessary. We allocated a very experienced tutor with experience working with neurodiverse pupils who display challenging behaviour. He started working with G at the end of October.

The provision remained a 1:1, and was subsequently expanded to include work in the community. This was because G benefited from leaving the house and getting experiential learning for practical applications of literacy and numeracy, as well as to improve life skills and social interaction.

Even though G still displayed some challenging behaviour at times, this was minor compared to the previous placement. G’s communication skills improved, allowing him to build short sentences to express his desires and needs. As a result of experiential learning in the community, he significantly improved his literacy and numeracy. In addition, he improved his emotional regulation and personal hygiene.

The provision concluded successfully in June 2023, with G moving to a college in Wales. G’s tutor accompanied the family to help him settle.

An Achieving for Children caseworker provided the following testimonial (Apr-23):

“Bright Heart do not hesitate to provide consistently good quality of support, despite the caseloads.

Even though they have a number of young people with severe complex needs, including severe communication needs, they consistently manage and support young people with their learning.

Even though sourcing the best tutor for each job is not easy and occasionally a tutor is not as suitable for a job, since complications are inevitable, Bright Heart are always responsive, professional and positive. Their tutors are well trained and they have the ability to support young people with all of their needs, so that they can reach the learning outcomes that are expected. They show a consistent effort for every job …

Bright Heart have worked to make their students feel comfortable and engaged, to a point where they have built trust within the different families and within the SEND department, as we know that we have consistency with the tutors and we can rely on them, which also makes parents feel comfortable. This is extremely important to us.”

A 16-year-old student with complex SEN (Merton LA)

We provided support for a 16-year-old student, M, with ASC, ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia who had studied at home for 3 years due to anxiety. He had a significant learning delay and needed subject specialists with experience tutoring children with ASC to provide support with the GCSE curriculum.

We carefully matched specialist tutors and provided 1:1 in-person GCSE tuition starting in September 2021. The goal was to help M catch up and sit GCSE exams in June 2022.

Additionally, M learned lifelong transferrable skills as part of his transition into adulthood, and our therapeutic approach boosted his self-esteem and confidence, and helped him regulate.

The therapeutic approach included weighted blankets and breathing techniques. The first sessions focussed on building rapport. Initially, he struggled to fully engage and regulate his emotions, and would become overwhelmed. Over time, however, M really blossomed and opened himself up to learning. He gradually became very motivated to sit his GCSEs.

We provided guidance, selected the exam boards, completed all forms and sent documents for access arrangements at a nearby exam centre. Since M could not sit his exams at the centre, Bright Heart arranged for its invigilators to go to M’s house.

M completed his exams in June 2022 and went on to college after regaining faith in the educational system and rebuilding his self-confidence.

M’s parent provided a testimonial about the first tutor assigned (Oct-21):

“Emily is professional, enthusiastic and engaging. She has developed an amazing rapport with my son very quickly and has an array of techniques along with her fabulous personality that means he is really enjoying his learning. A fabulous tutor!”

A 14-year-old student in care with SEMH needs (Greenwich LA)

Bright Heart was approached in April 2023 to support a 14-year-old, T, who had been struggling in his placement with poor engagement and focus. Trust had been broken with his previous non-Bright Heart tutor, who had been unreliable, exacerbating his reticence as this was a trigger for his previous home. T was the only young person in his care home; he was lonely and had built up many defences. He would react angrily to situations or display inappropriate behaviour and language.

Bright Heart provided a patient and warm specialist SEN tutor, Lisa, who, with time, brought T out of his shell and enabled him to develop trust. Lisa provided gentle interaction and KS3 support, but communicated boundaries professionally and clearly. The staff at the care home noted how good she was with him and how well he responded to her.

Prior to moving out of Borough in July 2024, T had made excellent progress. He showed increased engagement and focus, requiring less prompts to stay on track. His learning recall, work productivity and accuracy all increased, as did his ability to regulate his emotions. This allowed Lisa to take him on experiential visits to museums and parks. T had expressed an interest in cooking as a potential future career, and Lisa built this into their sessions to help facilitate his future transition. Lisa also incorporated maths learning into the cookery sessions, for example, through weighing ingredients and converting measurements.

A Greenwich SEND officer provided the following testimonial (Apr-24):

“BH [Bright Heart] and Lisa have been adaptive, flexible and responsive when creating bespoke tuition packages for my disengaged YP [young person].

Lisa is well supported by BH, they provide, advice and guidance and are visible across the network.

BH takes time and care to match the right tutors to YP.

T [ ] has had many tutors previously but has made a real bond with Lisa. He enjoys his time with her and responds well to her approach. T [ ] and the professional network around him are very pleased with her approach and conduct.”

Safeguarding & safer recruitment

Bright Heart is committed to providing the best possible care to its students and vulnerable adults and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Bright Heart follows a stringent recruitment process, as outlined in its Safer Recruitment Policy, to ensure it only works with suitable tutors.

Tutors receive training and guidance on tutoring and safeguarding practices and adhere to Bright Heart’s tutoring standards, Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, Online Tutoring Policy, and Anti-bullying Policy.

Bright Heart meets all of its tutors in person prior to tuition commencing.

Risk management / QA

Bright Heart is subject to quality assurance reviews with the LAs it works with. In addition, as an approved National Tutoring Programme (NTP) Tuition Partner from 2021 to 2024, Bright Heart successfully completed annual quality assurance covering:

Bright Heart is committed to providing high-quality, safe AP, in line with the 13 quality areas outlined in the AP Quality Toolkit, that meets the unique needs of our students and results in satisfied clients. We have implemented a Quality Management System (QMS), which we believe conforms to the requirements of ISO9001:2015, ensuring that our processes are systematic, efficient, and continually improving. We publish a quality policy on our website demonstrating this commitment. We use Egress for confidential communications.

Bright Heart maintains a comprehensive safeguarding risk management plan, general risk management plan, and risk register, which are frequently reviewed and discussed at board meetings.

Bright Heart maintains comprehensive insurance policies, including: