Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to specifically support the home-learning of young carers during covid-19 related school closures.

From 8 March 2021, all schools and colleges should allow full attendance. Schools affected by the remote education temporary continuity direction are still required to provide remote education for pupils covered by the direction where their attendance would be contrary to Government guidance or legislation around the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes, for example, where such guidance means that a class, group, or small number of pupils need to self-isolate or clinically extremely vulnerable children need to shield. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-temporary-continuity-direction-explanatory-note.

During the period of national lockdown, the Department expects all primary schools, secondary schools, and further education (FE) colleges in England to provide remote education for the majority of their pupils and students, with the exception of vulnerable children and young people, and the children of critical workers, who can attend school or FE colleges in person. Where vulnerable children and young people and children of critical workers do not attend school or FE colleges, the Department expects schools and FE colleges to provide them with remote education. The definition of vulnerable children and young people includes children who have a social worker, an education, health, and care plan or who may be vulnerable for another reason. This may include young carers.

The Government is providing over £400 million to support remote education and online social care, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. This includes over one million laptops and tablets that were delivered to schools, FE colleges, academy trusts, and local authorities by 15 February 2021.

Where remote education is needed and pupils and students continue to experience barriers to remote education, the Department expects schools and FE college to work to overcome these barriers. This could include distributing school or FE college owned laptops or supplementing digital provision with different forms of remote education such as printed resources or textbooks. Where young carers require further support with their remote education, the Department encourages them to speak to their school or college.

The return to school for all pupils is being prioritised due to the significant and proven impact caused by being out of school, including on wellbeing. The support schools provide to their pupils as they return to face-to-face education should include time devoted to supporting wellbeing, which will play a fundamental part in supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing recovery. The expectations for schools in this regard are set out clearly in the main Department for Education guidance to schools.

The Government’s £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme is facilitating local expert support for education staff to respond to emotional and mental health pressures some children and young people may be facing. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/8m-programme-to-boost-pupil-and-teacher-wellbeing.

The Government has provided over £11 million to the See, Hear, Respond programme to support vulnerable children and young people whose usual support networks have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including young carers as a target group. The programme provides a range of support, including online counselling and helping children and young people stay connected with school.

The Government has also published guidance for both schools and local authorities on how best to support families and protect vulnerable children during the COVID-19 outbreak, alongside guidance for young people with caring responsibilities. This guidance includes information on how and where they can find help and support, including encouraging them to speak to someone they trust at their school or college, like a teacher or school nurse, concerning their caring responsibilities and how this might affect them. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/young-carers-and-young-adult-carers-providing-care-during-coronavirus/guidance-for-those-under-25-who-provide-care-for-someone.