Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of covid-19 on the long-term (a) educational attainment and (b) mental well-being of school children in Surrey Heath constituency.

All children and young people should have every opportunity to achieve and thrive, no matter who they are or where they are from. However, the pandemic harmed the attainment of all children, particularly those that are disadvantaged, and too many children and young people continue to face barriers to learning.

This is not acceptable, which is why the Opportunity Mission will break down barriers and raise standards across education, ensuring a better future for all children and young people in all areas of the country, including Surrey Heath.

High and rising standards across every school and for every child are at the heart of this mission, delivered through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum, robust accountability and faster school improvement and a system which removes additional barriers to learning.

The quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for all children which is why we are committed to recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers. We have also launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which is closely examining the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers that hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve.

To strengthen school improvement, the new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams will provide both mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve and a universal service, acting as a catalyst for a self-improving system for all schools.

Independent research has found that COVID-19 led to increased depressive symptoms among teenagers and decreased life satisfaction, with girls being particularly affected.

The department is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. We will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school through expanding Mental Health Support Teams, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate, and open new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.