Covid-19 Pandemic: Educational Attainment

Baroness Berridge Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd May 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords—

[Noble Lords]

Baroness Berridge!

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Williams of Trafford) (Con)]

My Lords, I think the House is calling for my noble friend Lady Berridge.

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, thousands of young people will be taking their GCSE examinations this year who were also in year 7 when the pandemic began. Unfortunately, they have been doubly affected by being educated in schools which have been disrupted by the RAAC situation. Can my noble friend the Minister please outline what advice, assistance and best practice is being shared with those schools, so that they can make effective representations to the exam boards—which do listen to those representations—about the disruption that may have affected their education for a second time?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

We in the department have worked very closely with each of those individual schools. Of course, the disruption may have affected coursework rather more significantly than specific exams. We have therefore worked with every school that has wished to have our support, providing them with the funding to support their children in order to be able to catch up on any learning that was lost for those pupils in exam years, but also liaising with and supporting them in their engagement with the exam boards.