Oral Answers to Questions

Jason McCartney Excerpts

Monday 21st June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Ansell (Eastbourne) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to provide disadvantaged students with access to high-quality tutoring support.

[Jason McCartney (Colne Valley) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to provide high-quality catch-up support to students.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to provide high-quality tutoring to disadvantaged students.

--- Later in debate ---

[Gavin Williamson]

My hon. Friend raises an important issue. As we bring forward the largest investment in tutoring that this country has ever seen, we want to look at how we can continue to make changes and improvements to the whole of the school day. That way, we can not only embed the tutoring revolution that we are driving forward but ensure that the other areas of enrichment that are so important for a child’s development are properly incorporated into any changes.

[Jason McCartney]

My area of Kirklees continues to have higher covid case rates than the national average, which means that more pupils and students are having to self-isolate and miss classroom teaching, which has an increased impact on wellbeing and mental health. Will the Secretary of State please tell me what extra catch-up funding and support is available for schools and colleges in areas such as mine, where there are above average rates of absence?

[Gavin Williamson]

As my hon. Friend will be aware, there is a £650 million universal catch-up premium, as well as the recovery premium. That funding is very much to ensure that schools such as those in his constituency are best able to target that money at the areas that will have the most impact on children. We must not lose sight of the fact that children from whatever background have been impacted as a result of covid, which is why we have always aimed to have flexibility in the system so that schools can support all children.