Business adapts by moving tuition online

THE boss of a company that offers private tuition has been able to keep going through the lockdown by moving online.

The Spark Academy provides after-school tuition for seven to 18-year-olds in Leicester and Oadby.

Former science teacher Mital Thanki, who founded the business in 2009, said when it was announced SATs, GCSE and A-level exams were being cancelled, she lost 40 per cent of her business.

But she said she had been already planning a transition to online learning.

That included group sessions, which have been taken up around the country.

She was helped by an adviser and the IT team at the Business Gateway Growth Hub, run by Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership.

She said: “Cancelling exams left many parents and their children naturally confused and worried about their futures, which meant we had to step up and ensure that we were there to support them.

“There were a few challenges going online initially as we had to teach both parents and students how to use the software, but this soon settled.

“Normally our service is complementary to school learning. However, as the weeks went by, we found our students were relying on us quite heavily as some schools were not offering live online lessons.

“We also noticed more issues surrounding anxiety and lack of motivation with students.

“We decided to change our offering and as part of our corporate and social responsibility, we provide more free academic lessons as well as increasing the number of our wellbeing and holistic sessions.”

Business Gateway adviser Aruna Bhagwan said: “Mital is a determined and tenacious entrepreneur and it’s wonderful to see her business adapting and succeeding.

“Like many business owners it has been a very challenging time for her, but she has managed to turn things around by looking at the bigger picture and continually innovating.”