Coronavirus: Education Setting Attendance and Support for Pupils Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Coronavirus: Education Setting Attendance and Support for Pupils

Philip Hollobone Excerpts
Thursday 23rd September 2021

(2 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alex Burghart Portrait Alex Burghart
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I thank the hon. Gentleman, and it is very good to hear about what he saw going on in Denton in his constituency during the summer. The tutoring programme is at the very heart of our response in helping children catch up, in so far as it is possible to do so. We know from the very best international and national data that when children have one-to-one or one-to-two tuition, it can be revolutionary for their learning, and that is why this Department is channelling money and effort into it.

Philip Hollobone Portrait Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)
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I warmly congratulate my hon. Friend on his thoroughly well deserved appointment.

Schools in Kettering are doing their very best, but are facing a very challenging time at the moment with some rapidly rising covid rates, especially in secondary settings. Could we have some specialised support and enhanced efforts from Public Health England and the Department to help them to get on top of this?

Alex Burghart Portrait Alex Burghart
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I thank my hon. Friend for his question and his remarks. As I mentioned a moment ago, there are DFE REACT teams working around the country, and their role is to work with schools, local authorities and regional schools commissioners to tackle precisely this problem. I am sure that, if he were to get in touch with the Department, it would be able to fill him in more on what is happening in his area.