Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for catch-up classes for time missed from school during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps will they take to provide this.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the attainment and progress of all students is a key research priority for the government. We have commissioned an independent research and assessment agency to provide a baseline assessment of catch-up needs for pupils in schools in England and monitor progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. This research is based on assessments that schools are already using and adds no additional burden on teachers. Initial findings from the research are available in the attached report. We are currently exploring options to assess progress over the course of the current academic year.
Our latest evidence suggests that, in summer 2021, primary pupils were on average around one month behind in reading and around 3 months behind in maths compared to where we would expect them to be in a ‘normal year’. Secondary pupils were behind in their learning in reading by around 2 months.
Overall direct investment announced for education recovery is almost £5 billion. This includes £1.8 billion of funding announced in the last Spending Review to support young people to catch up on missed learning.
Our approach to recovery follows the evidence by providing universal support but also by targeting additional support at disadvantaged pupils, as well as older pupils with less time left in education. We are focusing on those interventions that have the greatest impact for pupils, especially on tutoring and teacher development, as well as direct recovery funding.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that schools in England can remain open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government is clear on the critical importance of avoiding disruption to children and young people’s education. Therefore, the priority is to keep all schools open.
Testing remains important in reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 within schools and colleges. All secondary schools were asked to test their pupils once on-site, using lateral flow device (LFD) tests, on return in January.
Staff and secondary school pupils should continue to test twice weekly at home, with LFD test kits. Schools are encouraged to ask all visitors to take an LFD test before entering the school.
From Tuesday 14 December, young people aged 5 to 18 and fully vaccinated adults who are identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 can take an NHS rapid LFD test every day for 7 days and continue to attend their school or college as normal, unless they have a positive test result.
The self-isolation advice for people with COVID-19 has changed. From Monday 17 January, people with COVID-19 in England can end their self-isolation after 5 full days, as long as they test negative on day 5 and day 6.
Every child aged 12 and over is eligible to receive the vaccine. Healthy 12 to 15 year olds can have a second dose 12 weeks after their first dose. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced the acceleration of our COVID-19 booster programme to offer every adult in England a booster jab by the end of 2021 to protect people from the Omicron variant.
We have also supported schools, colleges, and nurseries to improve ventilation. We have provided carbon dioxide monitors backed by £25 million in government funding. Over 99% of eligible maintained schools, further education colleges, and the majority of early years education providers have now received a carbon dioxide monitor with over 350,000 now delivered. The government is now making available at least 7,000 funded air cleaning units for poorly ventilated teaching spaces where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible.
The department has put in place support to help schools facing workforce shortages. This includes calling on former teachers with the time and skills to return to the classroom and reintroducing the COVID-19 workforce fund to provide financial support to eligible schools and colleges for absence costs incurred from 22 November until the spring half term. Schools also have the discretion to consider and implement flexible working and delivery patterns.
The department has reintroduced face coverings for all adults in schools and for pupils and students in year 7 and above in communal areas, and from 4 January 2022 in classrooms. This is a temporary measure and will be reviewed on 26 January.
We have worked in partnership with the education sector and mental health experts to bring together and announce a range of commitments to protect and promote staff mental health and wellbeing as well as providing resources. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges. We have also published a well-being charter available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) efficacy, and (2) urgency, of installing air filters in schools over the Christmas period while school pupils are on holiday.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
During the autumn term, the department provided CO2 monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools and further education colleges, backed by £25 million in government funding. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in the majority of providrrs, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.
Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, schools are advised to explore what remedial works may be required to improve ventilation. Where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation, it may be appropriate to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed.
When used properly, air cleaning units can help reduce airborne contaminants in a poorly ventilated space, including viruses like COVID-19. Air cleaning units are not a substitute for ventilation and should never be used as a reason to reduce ventilation. They are not necessary in spaces that are adequately ventilated.
The department’s decision to make air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated spaces in education and care settings has been formed by advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and external consultation with specialists. We will continue to develop our policy and guidance on ventilation in line with the latest scientific advice and in consultation with industry wide experts.
Deliveries of air cleaning units will start from this week to special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision providers. These were allocated in the first application round announced in November for special and alternative provision providers.
The second round of applications is open until 9am on 17 January. All state funded schools (primary and secondary), further education colleges and nurseries can apply. Special and alternative provision providers that were not successful or did not apply in the first round are also eligible to apply in this round. Once applications have closed, all applications will be assessed against strict criteria and allocated to providers based on need. Providers with successful applications will be contacted individually to arrange delivery, with deliveries expected from February 2022.
For those providers that are not eligible for funded units, the online marketplace provides a route to purchasing air cleaning units directly from suppliers at a suitable specification and competitive price. The marketplace can be accessed here: https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of school days missed in England since the start of the school year as a result of COVID-19 absence; and what steps they intend to take to assist pupils who have missed school.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The department regularly publishes the number of school days missed due to COVID-19. The most recent publication can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. On 14 October, 2.6% (209,000) of all pupils on roll in state-funded schools did not attend school for COVID-19 related reasons.
Among pupils absent for COVID-19 reasons, the main reasons for absence on 14 October were: pupils with a confirmed case of COVID-19 (1.4%), and pupils with a suspected case of COVID-19 (1.0%). Overall, the attendance in state funded schools was 90.0% on 14 October, up from 89.5% on 30 September.
The department has a comprehensive attendance strategy that has been implemented since the beginning of this academic year to ensure that any absence as a result of COVID-19 is minimised. We also recognise that extended school and college restrictions and absences have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education. The department is committed to helping pupils catch up as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and has committed to an ambitious, long term recovery plan.
Since June 2020, the department has announced more than £3 billion to support education recovery in schools, colleges, and nurseries. This is already making a difference and helping children to catch up. Over 500,000 children were invited to participate in summer schools, 308,000 children were reached through the National Tutoring Programme in year one, and over three-quarters (77%) of eligible 16-19 colleges in the 2020/21 academic year were allocated funds for delivering tutoring for 16–19-year-olds.
Over the coming three academic years, the department has announced the extension of the 16-19 tuition fund to support the equivalent of around 2 million 15-hour courses to accelerate the progression of lower attaining students, with a total investment of £324 million over the next three years.
The department has also dedicated over £950 million worth of additional funding for catch-up in schools. Through the one-off catch-up premium, schools have already received £650 million worth of funding during the 2020/2021 academic year and the new one-off recovery premium which will provide over £300 million worth of funding during the 2021/2022 academic year. The recovery premium allocations have also now been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-recovery-premium-funding-allocations. Allocations are weighted so that schools with more disadvantaged pupils receive more funding.
Recovery programmes have been designed to allow nursery, school and college leaders the flexibility to support those pupils most in need, including the most disadvantaged. The department is investing in high quality tutoring and great teaching because evidence is clear this will have a significant impact for disadvantaged children.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what long-term policies they are following to ensure that those affected by disrupted education during the COVID-19 pandemic are able to catch up on lost tuition and missed schooling.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The government recognises that extended school and college restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education and are committed to helping pupils catch up.
Since June 2020, the department has invested £3 billion to support education recovery. This will have a material impact in closing gaps that have emerged. This funding includes:
In addition, schools or colleges will be able to offer students in Year 13 a repeat year where they have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The government is committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the spending review. The department will also be continuing to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on education.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue guidelines to independent schools about the cost of school uniforms.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The government is supporting the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) private members’ bill to enable us to issue statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform. The bill does not extend to guidance for independent schools.
In choosing an independent school for their child, parents accept and expect certain associated fees, and school uniform costs are something that they need to take into consideration as part of their decision to seek a private education for their child.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to advertise the National Tutoring Programme to disadvantaged pupils.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
There is extensive evidence that tutoring is one of the most effective ways to accelerate pupil progress, and we want to extend this opportunity to disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils.
We are committed to ensuring that there is a strong take-up of the programme. We have undertaken a range of communications and engagement activities to ensure that schools are aware of the support offered by the National Tutoring Programme (NTP). Our activities include offering school-focused webinars throughout the academic year and working with a range of key stakeholders to increase awareness and interest in the programme in areas that need it most, for example, through opportunity areas, multi academy trusts and regional schools commissioners. In addition, we have also been communicating with local authority groups, networks, and teaching unions.
The NTP is providing regular newsletters and blogs direct to schools, alongside targeted social media activity. Since the programme went live in November 2020, we have continued to share case studies and good practice to show how tuition can support pupils effectively, including a guide of how to make the most out of tutoring during the most recent lockdown period. We will continue to monitor take-up throughout the course of this academic year and ensure further communication is directed towards areas of low take-up.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote opportunities for UK companies to offer online tuition in (1) the UK, and (2) overseas.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Department’s £350 million National Tutoring Programme (NTP) will engage around 15,000 tutors to support 250,000 pupils across England, with the majority of our tuition partners providing online support. Through our EdTech grant funding partnership, Nesta are supporting some tuition partners to strengthen their digital and online offering and capabilities. For example, adapting online content to better meet the needs of students with special educational needs, developing lower-bandwidth platforms, and embedding impact measurement into online provision. The NTP for 5 to 16 year olds has been extended for another year and more information will be available in due course.
More broadly, businesses in England can access free support and guidance on finding the right finance to grow or scale up from the network of local growth hubs and the freephone Business Support Helpline. Information and advice on scaling and growing a business can also be be found on gov.uk. Firms based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales can access business support through their Governments.
The Government’s International Education Strategy commits to promoting overseas opportunities for UK companies. We proactively identify opportunities in global markets and to support the sector in maximising its supply capabilities to meet this demand. We promote opportunities via the Exporting Is GREAT website and work closely with British Educational Suppliers Association, the trade association for UK EdTech, and the sector to maximise exposure to opportunities for online education providers.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the wearing of face masks in secondary schools.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department has published comprehensive guidance on the use of face coverings in schools, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education.
At each stage of its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has listened to and acted on the latest medical and scientific advice, and if we think that the guidance should be revised based on further evidence then we will not hesitate to act swiftly and decisively.
When an area moves to the local restriction tier 2: ‘high’, 3: ‘very high’ or 4: ‘stay at home’, in schools where year 7 and above are taught, face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around indoors, outside of classrooms, for example in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.
As the guidance outlines, based on current evidence, and in light of the mitigation measures that schools have put in place, face coverings are not necessary in the classroom. Schools and colleges that are in local restriction tier 1: ‘medium’ will have the discretion to require the use of face coverings in indoor communal areas, outside of classrooms, where social distancing cannot be safely managed, if they believe that it is appropriate in their particular circumstances.
We continue to provide information to schools and other education and childcare settings on our guidance, and any changes to it, through regular departmental communications.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect apprentices whose employment has ceased as a consequence of COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We are committed to supporting apprentices who have been made redundant as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, including enabling them wherever possible to continue and complete their apprenticeships.
We launched the Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices which provides clear, accessible advice and guidance to individuals, as well as a vacancy sharing scheme to help apprentices find new opportunities with employers. Over 1,000 employers have submitted opportunities to the vacancy sharing service for redundant apprentices.
We have also amended legislation to enable more apprentices to complete their apprenticeship in the event of redundancy. In addition to funding an apprentice’s training to completion if they have less than six months of their apprenticeship remaining at the point of redundancy, we have extended this provision to include any apprentice who has completed 75% or more of their apprenticeship at the point of redundancy.
Apprenticeships will be more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need to recover and grow. In the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years, we are making available £2.5 billion for apprenticeships in England, double that spent in the 2010-11 financial year. To help employers offer new apprenticeships, including to those that have been made redundant, employers are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25, and £1,500 for those 25 and over, until 31 March 2021. We are extending the incentive payments available to employers taking on new apprentices until the end of this financial year, boosting job creation and supporting employers to invest in skills as the economy recovers.