Sixth Form Education: Coronavirus

(asked on 17th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on sixth form students.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 26th June 2020

We want to get all children and young people back into face-to-face education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.

From the week commencing 15 June, we have asked schools with sixth forms and further education colleges, which includes sixth form colleges, to offer some face-to-face support to pupils in year 12 and to 16-19 students in the first year of a two-year study programme, as they are preparing for key examinations next year. Remote education should, however, remain the predominant mode of education for these students at this time.

Whilst we are unable to welcome back more sixth form students at this time, we have recently announced that other students under 19 years old can be offered a face-to-face meeting before the end of the summer term, where it would be beneficial. As long as this happens in line with wider protective measures guidance, and guidance on the numbers of pupils permitted on-site at any one time, we would encourage this where possible.

Our priority is to ensure that year 13 sixth form students can progress as planned, including starting university, moving into apprenticeships or securing a job, and to support year 12 students to prepare for examinations next year.

We have published a planning guide for secondary schools (including those with sixth forms) to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools;

as well as guidance for further education providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/maintaining-education-and-skills-training-provision-further-education-providers.

Reticulating Splines