Joe Swainson
Senior Tutor Manager
What I do at BrightTeach
Hi! I'm Joe, BrightTeach's Senior Tutor Manager.
I oversee the recruitment and development of tutors for the company, ensuring that our students get the best support possible from a cohort of empathetic, knowledgeable and confident tutors!
I oversee the recruitment and development of tutors for the company, ensuring that our students get the best support possible from a cohort of empathetic, knowledgeable and confident tutors!
Why BrightTeach
Child-centred - We strive to centre the young people we support in every aspect of the business. We are genuinely invested in supporting children who feel let down or abandoned by the 'system', giving them the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in life.
Dynamic- We pride ourselves on being adaptable and effective problem solvers, and we want our tutors to exude these qualities too!
Growth-biased- Our goal is to support as many young people as possible, regardless of the complexity of their profile, needs or background. We don't grow for the sake of growth- we want to share our vision, ethos, and way of working with as many people as we can!
Dynamic- We pride ourselves on being adaptable and effective problem solvers, and we want our tutors to exude these qualities too!
Growth-biased- Our goal is to support as many young people as possible, regardless of the complexity of their profile, needs or background. We don't grow for the sake of growth- we want to share our vision, ethos, and way of working with as many people as we can!
Who am I?
I've been working for BrightTeach since 2020, starting as a humble freelance digital marketer before moving to a full-time role. Being a part of what was (at the time) a fledgling business meant I got to try out a number of different roles and responsibilities, and I found I had a natural affinity for the 'tutor' side of the business, identifying and recruiting amazing SEND tutors from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Along with the rest of the amazing BrightTeach management team past + present, I helped foster a new 'era' of the business, moving into the Alternative Provision sector to support SEND students across the country. Ultimately though, it's thanks to our tutors that we're in the place we are now- being able to support hundreds of students on a weekly basis, impacting the lives of the young people who need it the most.
Along with the rest of the amazing BrightTeach management team past + present, I helped foster a new 'era' of the business, moving into the Alternative Provision sector to support SEND students across the country. Ultimately though, it's thanks to our tutors that we're in the place we are now- being able to support hundreds of students on a weekly basis, impacting the lives of the young people who need it the most.
Advice for prospective candidates
To me, when looking for the kind of tutor we want to work with our students, exhibiting empathy, patience, kindness, and understanding of a young person's needs and background is just as important as subject knowledge and imparting information. We are a child-centred business, and need our tutors to share our values and ethos.
If you're coming from a mainstream or private tutoring/teaching role, my biggest recommendation is to embrace the freedom and ability for bespoke learning that this form of provision allows. Working 1:1 long-term with a young person lets you devise an individualised course of learning suited to the student's needs, learning styles and preferred ways of working.
At a time where classroom teaching can often feel like 'crowd control', we hope to provide an alternative, where our tutors can do what they came into this profession to do: impart knowledge, improve confidence, and develop a young person, giving them the tools they need to thrive in education and later life.
If you're coming from a mainstream or private tutoring/teaching role, my biggest recommendation is to embrace the freedom and ability for bespoke learning that this form of provision allows. Working 1:1 long-term with a young person lets you devise an individualised course of learning suited to the student's needs, learning styles and preferred ways of working.
At a time where classroom teaching can often feel like 'crowd control', we hope to provide an alternative, where our tutors can do what they came into this profession to do: impart knowledge, improve confidence, and develop a young person, giving them the tools they need to thrive in education and later life.