Oak National Academy: Finance

(asked on 2nd March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on funding of the Oak National Academy after the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make statement.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 9th March 2021

In order to provide rapid support to schools and families during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has funded the Oak National Academy to provide free video lessons and online resources in a broad range of subjects for Reception up to Year 11. Specialist content for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is also available. Oak National Academy has delivered more than 100 million lessons since April 2020.

The Government also recently announced an immediate support package to help children and young people recover from the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes funding for secondary schools to deliver face to face, two week summer schools for pupils most in need of support. A range of high quality online resources available for all teachers and pupils, starting from the summer term and throughout summer holidays, will also be provided by Oak National Academy, to help give pupils the confidence they are ready for the next academic year. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-education-recovery-package-for-children-and-young-people.

The Department has recently published a prior information notice regarding a potential open procurement to create and host a range of free in-class and catch up curriculum resources to support teachers with their lesson delivery and education recovery. Further information will be available in due course.

As part of the Government’s commitment to develop a longer-term education recovery plan, the Education Recovery Commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, is engaging extensively with teachers, school and college leaders, educational charities and families to consider the effect the COVID-19 outbreak has had on education and wellbeing, and what further action is needed to address this.

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