Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps will the Department take to ensure those students worst affected by absence in circumstances related to covid-19 receive targeted support in the next academic year to catch-up on any lost learning.

The Department’s £3 billion investment in education recovery includes over £900 million that schools can use to best support the children who have been most affected by COVID-19.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department has acted swiftly to help minimise the effect on pupils’ education, providing extensive support for schools. The UK was one of few countries to keep schools open for vulnerable children. The Department understands that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused challenges for children who may have disengaged from education. That is why we continue to work closely with local authorities and schools to help them reengage pupils, including providing best practice guidance.

The Government’s recovery programmes, and targeted help through the provision of 1.35 million laptops and tablets and connectivity for over 110,000 families, have been designed to allow nurseries, schools, and further education colleges the flexibility to support pupils most in need.