Free online chemistry tuition aims to level the playing field for GCSE students
£59,000 grant from SHINE will support the next phase of Jon Blackbourn's project, enabling him to create more content and evaluate its impact
For students struggling with GCSE chemistry, getting extra help outside the classroom can make a real difference. But while some families can afford a private tutor, others have no access to that support. And even students who work well in lessons may struggle to revise independently using traditional resources such as textbooks and revision guides.
Manchester secondary science teacher Jon Blackbourn is working to change that. Through his Revise Chemistry with Mr B channels on YouTube and TikTok, he provides free video lessons, revision resources and online group tuition to help students build their subject knowledge and prepare for exams.
“I’m trying to be the online tutor that lots of kids can’t afford,” he says.
Jon’s approach meets students where they already spend time. His short videos explain chemistry concepts, while longer lessons and exam-question walkthroughs help students consolidate their learning and practise applying their knowledge. Weekly TikTok Live tutorials give students the chance to ask questions and get help with topics they find difficult.
The resources are designed to be accessible to all, but reaching disadvantaged students is a particular priority.
“Some families can support their children by paying for an after-school tutor. The families of disadvantaged students simply cannot afford extra tuition,” he says. “My mission is to be that online support for all students. It doesn’t matter who you are, you should have that access to fulfil your potential.”
Jon is a past winner of SHINE’s Let Teachers SHINE competition, which supports practising teachers to develop ideas that could improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.
Since then, his online audience has grown substantially. He has created hundreds of chemistry revision videos, attracting millions of views and thousands of followers across the two platforms.
The response from students has encouraged him to keep developing the resources.
“It’s given me a new purpose and a new spring in my step,” he says. “It makes you realise that you can pass on this knowledge to a lot more students.”
He has also seen encouraging signs in his own classroom. After noticing a relationship between students’ use of his online resources and their performance against target grades, he shared his findings with the class. By the end of the school year, more students were using the resources, including more disadvantaged pupils.
However, he wants to establish whether the approach makes a measurable difference beyond his own classroom.
“I’ve got lots of positive evidence in my own school, but I want to see what impact it’s having for students that I never get to meet, that aren’t within my direct reach,” he says.
A new £59,000 scaling grant from SHINE will support the next phase of the project, helping Jon create more content and independently evaluate its impact.
A significant part of the funding will give him protected time away from his normal teaching timetable to develop and improve his videos. He plans to complete coverage of the GCSE Chemistry curriculum for both Combined Science and Separate Chemistry students, refining older videos as he goes. He will also produce more exam-question walkthroughs so students can practice applying what they have learnt and receive feedback.
If time allows, he hopes to begin developing GCSE physics resources, responding to requests from students who already use his chemistry videos.
The grant will also fund an independent evaluation led by What Worked Education, working with GCSE classes in at least 12 schools across the North of England. The study will focus on schools where at least 30% of pupils are disadvantaged.
In each school, two similar-ability classes will study the same topic. Both will complete a knowledge test before and after teaching. One class will be directed towards Jon’s online resources during the topic, while the other will continue as normal without being explicitly signposted to them.
The process will be repeated across three GCSE topics, allowing researchers to compare progress between the classes and examine the results for disadvantaged pupils in particular. Combining data from different schools will help build a larger evidence base.
Jon’s longer-term ambition is to become a go-to source of online support for disadvantaged students struggling with GCSE science, eventually covering biology and physics as well as chemistry.
He also hopes to make the resources useful for teachers, particularly those who are less confident teaching chemistry or who have been asked to teach outside their specialism.
The next phase will help establish whether an approach that has attracted a substantial online audience can deliver measurable benefits for the pupils who need extra support most.