Recommendations & Conclusions
34 items
2
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
Only a small minority of vulnerable children attended school in the early stages of the pandemic, increasing the risk of hidden harm. The Department acknowledges that the pandemic presented real safeguarding challenges. It kept schools open for vulnerable children—for example, those with a social worker or an education, health and …
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Only a small minority of vulnerable children attended school in the early stages of the pandemic, increasing the risk of hidden harm. The Department acknowledges that the pandemic presented real safeguarding challenges. It kept schools open for vulnerable children—for example, those with a social worker or an education, health and care (EHC) plan, or those deemed ‘otherwise vulnerable’—because continued attendance was seen as an important way of safeguarding and supporting them. However, the proportion of vulnerable children who attended school or college remained below 11% from 23 March to late May 2020, and only reached a weekly average of 26% by the end of the summer term. The written evidence we received highlighted concerns about the potential impact of so few vulnerable children attending school. Referrals to children’s social care services for the weeks surveyed between 27 April and 16 August 2020 were around 15% lower than the average for the same period over the previous three years. The Department says that referral levels are still down by around 10% year-on-year, and that there are concerns about ongoing hidden harm to children. Recommendation: The Department should work with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services to understand why the number of referrals to children’s social care services remains below expected levels, and take action in light of the findings to make sure children are being effectively safeguarded.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees, committing to work with ADCS and local authorities to understand reasons for low social care referrals, detailing ongoing data collection, support for LAs, and a £24 million Children’s Social Care recovery fund to safeguard children.
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HM Treasury
3
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The disruption to schooling had a particularly detrimental impact on children with special educational needs and disabilities, in terms of both their education and their health. In spring 2020, the Department temporarily changed aspects of the law on EHC needs assessments and plans. While this reduced pressure on schools and …
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The disruption to schooling had a particularly detrimental impact on children with special educational needs and disabilities, in terms of both their education and their health. In spring 2020, the Department temporarily changed aspects of the law on EHC needs assessments and plans. While this reduced pressure on schools and local authorities, it meant that some children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experienced delays in assessments and did not receive the support they would expect in normal times. While children with an EHC plan were eligible to continue attending school throughout the pandemic, in some cases risk assessments to determine whether children should be in school or at home were carried out without consulting families. The Department accepts that not all 6 COVID-19: Support for children’s education schools were confident about educating children with an EHC plan during school closures, and there was local variation in the extent to which schools offered these children a place. Remote learning is especially difficult for children with SEND, and children with complex needs struggled because they did not have at home the specialist support and equipment they would normally have at school. In some cases, restrictions to their normal routine also affected children’s health. The Department concedes that improvements will be needed in the event of future disruption, including better joint working with the Department of Health and Social Care. Recommendation: The Department should work with the Department of Health and Social Care to identify the specific actions needed to help children with SEND recover from the damage caused during the pandemic.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees, outlining specific actions within its recovery plan including close collaboration with DHSC to assess therapy access, significant funding for mental health services, and investment in mental health support teams in schools for children with SEND.
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HM Treasury
4
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Rejected
The Department has no vision for building on the investment it has made in IT equipment for vulnerable and disadvantaged children. In the early stages of the pandemic, the Department initially considered trying to provide 602,000 laptops and tablets, and 100,000 4G routers, to priority groups of children. It scaled …
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The Department has no vision for building on the investment it has made in IT equipment for vulnerable and disadvantaged children. In the early stages of the pandemic, the Department initially considered trying to provide 602,000 laptops and tablets, and 100,000 4G routers, to priority groups of children. It scaled back these plans, however, and by the end of the summer term 2020 had delivered almost 215,000 laptops or tablets and 50,000 routers for children with a social worker and care leavers, and for disadvantaged children in year 10. The Department continued to distribute IT equipment during the 2020/21 school year, and by March 2021 had provided almost 1.3 million laptops and tablets. The Department intends to strike a balance between centralised procurement and allowing schools the autonomy to make their own choices about IT provision. It aims to support the sector with information and guidance, including through its education technology programme. Schools and local authorities own the IT equipment that the Department distributed during the pandemic. The Department says that it is the responsibility of these bodies to manage the risk of obsolescence and that schools should use their core funding to maintain the provision of suitable equipment. Recommendation: Access to IT equipment is vital for pupils, both in normal times and in times of disrupted schooling. The Department should set out a plan for how it will ensure that all vulnerable and disadvantaged children have access to IT equipment to support their learning at home. The plan should make clear the roles of the Department, local authorities and schools, and set out what funding will be available to maintain and replace equipment.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for a specific plan to ensure vulnerable and disadvantaged children have access to IT equipment, stating it has already invested significantly and devices are the responsibility of schools for maintenance, while committing to developing a broader strategic approach to technology …
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HM Treasury
5
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The Department has not set out how it will judge the effectiveness of the catch- up programme in making up for the learning children lost as a result of the disruption to schooling. The disruption has adversely affected children’s learning and development, with the learning loss greatest among disadvantaged children. …
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The Department has not set out how it will judge the effectiveness of the catch- up programme in making up for the learning children lost as a result of the disruption to schooling. The disruption has adversely affected children’s learning and development, with the learning loss greatest among disadvantaged children. The attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers is likely to grow significantly as a result of school closures. The Department has committed £1.7 billion to fund catch-up learning, and has commissioned independent evaluations of the National Tutoring Programme schemes, alongside research into how schools are using the £650 million universal catch-up premium in the 2020/21 school year. It says that the National Tutoring Programme schemes, which are intended to focus on disadvantaged children, will be judged on levels of take-up and evidence COVID-19: Support for children’s education 7 that children are making significant progress, but it has not articulated what levels of take-up or pupil progression it wants these schemes to achieve, or how it will determine whether the catch-up programme as a whole has been effective. Recommendation: Alongside its Treasury Minute response, the Department should write to us, setting out clear metrics that it will use to monitor the catch- up learning programme, and what level of performance would represent success.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees, committing to developing metrics to monitor lost learning and write to the Committee by Autumn 2021, while also detailing multiple commissioned studies and evaluations to assess learning loss, catch-up premium use, and intervention effectiveness.
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HM Treasury
6
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The success of the National Tutoring Programme will depend on the quality of provision and whether it reaches the disadvantaged children who need it most. Previous evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation indicate that tutoring programmes are effective in supporting children’s learning. However, the Department recognises that the tutoring market …
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The success of the National Tutoring Programme will depend on the quality of provision and whether it reaches the disadvantaged children who need it most. Previous evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation indicate that tutoring programmes are effective in supporting children’s learning. However, the Department recognises that the tutoring market is under-developed, and there have been issues with quality and access in the past. As well as supporting disadvantaged children to catch up on lost learning, the Department intends that the National Tutoring Programme schemes will improve quality and grow capacity in the tutoring market. It expects that the ‘tuition partners’ scheme will reach between 200,000 and 250,000 children in 2020/21, and that tutoring will become an integral part of the education system. However, at February 2021, only 44% of children receiving tuition were eligible for pupil premium funding, raising questions over whether the scheme will reach the children who need it most. Also at February 2021, demand for the ‘academic mentors’ scheme had outstripped supply, with more than 600 schools who had requested a mentor not having access to one. Recommendation: The Department should set out how it intends to gain assurance on the quantity and quality of tutoring and mentoring provided under the National Tutoring Programme. Its response should cover in particular how it intends to ensure there is adequate tutoring and mentoring provision in areas of the country where educational attainment is lower. 8 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 1 The Department for Education’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating it will continue the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) in 2021-22 with increased reach and focus on areas of low reach and attainment through operational targets. It commits to monitoring regional spread, engagement, and holding providers accountable for tuition quality …
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HM Treasury
1
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Not Addressed
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring and summer 2020, and on how it is supporting children to catch up on the learning lost while normal …
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On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring and summer 2020, and on how it is supporting children to catch up on the learning lost while normal schooling was disrupted.1
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Government response AI summary
The government provides a boilerplate introductory statement acknowledging the Committee's report and stating that the document serves as its response.
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HM Treasury
7
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
We asked the Department when it expected to conduct a lessons-learned exercise. It highlighted that the pandemic had often required it to take action collectively with other organisations as it could not respond unilaterally to what was a health situation. It said that any such exercise should therefore be carried …
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We asked the Department when it expected to conduct a lessons-learned exercise. It highlighted that the pandemic had often required it to take action collectively with other organisations as it could not respond unilaterally to what was a health situation. It said that any such exercise should therefore be carried out collaboratively with the rest of government in order to draw out consistent lessons.10 Attendance of vulnerable children
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees, committing to carry out a collaborative lessons-learned exercise consistent with other cross-government activities, engaging with the Cabinet Office, and continuously analyzing its COVID-19 response by December 2022.
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HM Treasury
8
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
The Department recognised that continued school attendance was an important way of safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children while schools were closed to most pupils. However, the proportion of children defined as in need under the Children Act 1989, or with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, who attended school …
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The Department recognised that continued school attendance was an important way of safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children while schools were closed to most pupils. However, the proportion of children defined as in need under the Children Act 1989, or with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, who attended school or college remained below 11% from 23 March to late May, and reached a weekly average of 26% by the end of the summer term.11
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the concern about low attendance of vulnerable children and describes ongoing work with local authorities on data collection for social care referrals, and highlights the £24 million Children’s Social Care recovery fund and interventions in inadequate local authorities.
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HM Treasury
9
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The Department explained that people had been extremely anxious in the early months of the pandemic and had taken the “stay at home” message seriously, and it had therefore been a challenge to persuade them to send their children to school.12 It said that it had begun to gather information …
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The Department explained that people had been extremely anxious in the early months of the pandemic and had taken the “stay at home” message seriously, and it had therefore been a challenge to persuade them to send their children to school.12 It said that it had begun to gather information from schools and colleges on patterns of attendance from the first day of the lockdown, and local authorities had given real-time feedback about any issues or concerns.13 It told us that the important thing was that school had been available for the children who needed to be there, and stressed that it had supported vulnerable children whether they were in school or not, including via the regional education and children’s teams.14
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the Committee's recommendation, stating it continues to collect and report data on referrals to children's social care, supports local authorities in safeguarding vulnerable children, and has allocated £24 million through the Children’s Social Care recovery fund for regional plans, with a …
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HM Treasury
10
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Not Addressed
We asked the Department whether its definition of ‘vulnerable children’ remained relevant in light of the pandemic. The Department explained that two elements of the definition that it used to decide who could access a school place—children with a social worker or an EHC plan—were fixed. But the definition also …
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We asked the Department whether its definition of ‘vulnerable children’ remained relevant in light of the pandemic. The Department explained that two elements of the definition that it used to decide who could access a school place—children with a social worker or an EHC plan—were fixed. But the definition also included an important third category, which was those children whom schools considered vulnerable in other regards. This allowed schools flexibility to take account of factors such as wider home circumstances or mental health issues, and to make sure that places could be made available to the children whom schools knew would suffer if they were not able to access 7 Q 10 8 Q 25 9 Q 26 10 Qq 11, 25 11 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.3, 2.5 12 Q 51 13 Q 24 14 Q 51 10 COVID-19: Support for children’s education face-to-face education.15 We challenged the Department about whether schools generally understood and felt empowered to apply this aspect of the definition. The Department agreed to consider whether its guidance could have made clearer that schools had this discretion, and what it could do to help make sure that people felt empowered to make those decisions.16
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation but its response focuses on data collection on children's social care referrals and recovery funds, completely failing to address the request to consider clarifying guidance on vulnerable children for schools.
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HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
The number of referrals to children’s social care services, during the weeks surveyed between 27 April and 16 August 2020, was around 15% lower than the average for the same period over the previous three years.17 In its written evidence, the NSPCC told us that, under normal circumstances, universal services …
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The number of referrals to children’s social care services, during the weeks surveyed between 27 April and 16 August 2020, was around 15% lower than the average for the same period over the previous three years.17 In its written evidence, the NSPCC told us that, under normal circumstances, universal services like schools and children’s centres were vital for detecting and escalating early signs of abuse. It said that there was no national expectation about who was accountable for following up and ensuring children were safe if they did not attend school.18
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the concern about reduced social care referrals and lack of national accountability, describing ongoing efforts with local authorities to collect and interpret referral data, support safeguarding, and provide £24 million through the Children’s Social Care recovery fund.
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HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The Department told us that there had not been the spike in referrals to children’s social care services which many people had expected when schools fully re-opened in September 2020, and that referrals were still around 10% below normal levels year-on- year.19 It explained that this raised concern about the …
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The Department told us that there had not been the spike in referrals to children’s social care services which many people had expected when schools fully re-opened in September 2020, and that referrals were still around 10% below normal levels year-on- year.19 It explained that this raised concern about the potential for ongoing hidden harm to children whose families were not in contact with the social care system.20
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation regarding reduced social care referrals, detailing ongoing work with ADCS and LAs to collect and interpret data, and the use of the Vulnerable Children and Young People Survey. It commits £24 million to the Children’s Social Care recovery …
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HM Treasury
13
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The NSPCC also emphasised that school environments were crucial for the educational and social development of children, acting as places of support for their mental health.21 The Department highlighted that it had put in place a number of sources of support for children’s mental health during the lockdown period, and …
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The NSPCC also emphasised that school environments were crucial for the educational and social development of children, acting as places of support for their mental health.21 The Department highlighted that it had put in place a number of sources of support for children’s mental health during the lockdown period, and had consistently signposted Public Health England’s guidance for parents and professionals. In particular, the Department spoke about the ‘wellbeing for education return’ programme that it had set up for September 2020, which funded expert training for every local authority area to help education staff to respond to the emotional and mental health pressures that some children had faced a as a result of the pandemic.22 The Department also said that it welcomed the announcement of additional funding from the Department of Health and Social Care to accelerate the roll-out of mental health support teams in schools.23 Supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities
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Government response AI summary
The government details specific financial commitments to support children's mental health and wellbeing, including £500 million announced by DHSC for mental health (with £31 million targeting individuals with learning disabilities and autistic people, including £3 million for respite services). Additionally, the Department is investing £79 …
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HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
On 1 May 2020, the Department temporarily changed aspects of the law on EHC needs assessments and plans, to give local authorities, health commissioning bodies, education providers and other bodies more flexibility in the context of the pandemic. These changes temporarily removed the requirement to complete assessments and plans within …
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On 1 May 2020, the Department temporarily changed aspects of the law on EHC needs assessments and plans, to give local authorities, health commissioning bodies, education providers and other bodies more flexibility in the context of the pandemic. These changes temporarily removed the requirement to complete assessments and plans within a fixed timeframe, and responsible bodies were required only to use their ‘reasonable endeavours’ to secure the provision within an EHC plan.24 In its written evidence, SENSE (a national charity for those living with complex disabilities) told us that, while it understood the need 15 Q 56 16 Q 57 17 C&AG’s Report, para 2.8 18 COE0026 NSPCC submission, pages 1–2 19 Q 54 20 Q 52 21 COE0026 NSPCC submission, page 4 22 Q 55 23 Q 85 24 C&AG’s Report, para 1.14 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 11 to relieve pressure on schools, local authorities and health commissioners, the changes had left families without the care and support they relied on to look after their disabled children safely. It also told us that many children’s support had not been fully reinstated, despite the temporary legal changes no longer being in place.25
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns regarding the impact of temporary EHC law changes, stating it is working with health departments to assess the pandemic's impact on therapy access and highlighting existing investments in mental health support and services for individuals with learning disabilities and …
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HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who had an EHC plan were eligible to continue attending school throughout the pandemic, provided a risk assessment had determined that they would be at least as safe in school as at home.26 However, SENSE told us that the guidance on how …
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Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who had an EHC plan were eligible to continue attending school throughout the pandemic, provided a risk assessment had determined that they would be at least as safe in school as at home.26 However, SENSE told us that the guidance on how these risk assessments should be conducted or what should be included was insufficient and vague. It said that many of the children it supported had been automatically assessed as being safer at home, and had not been able to access the support they usually received at school, putting them in a vulnerable position. It also suggested that, in some cases, the risk assessments were carried out without the knowledge of, or input from, families.27 The Department explained that it exercised oversight of these issues through local authorities, who took the lead on EHC plans and risk assessments.28 In subsequent written evidence, the Department said that it had not asked local authorities to inform it of the outcome of their risk assessments and therefore it did not know how many children these assessments had placed at home.29
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns about the adequacy and implementation of risk assessments for SEND children, stating it is assessing the pandemic's impact on therapy access and highlighting existing investments in mental health and support for learning disabilities and autistic people.
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HM Treasury
16
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
We asked the Department why some schools had felt unable to offer places to children with EHC plans. It told us that the situation changed over the course of the pandemic – for example, attendance of children with EHC plans grew from about 5% in March 2020 to 27% by …
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We asked the Department why some schools had felt unable to offer places to children with EHC plans. It told us that the situation changed over the course of the pandemic – for example, attendance of children with EHC plans grew from about 5% in March 2020 to 27% by June, and during the period of disrupted schooling which started in January 2021 the figure was around 37%. But the Department also conceded that there had been regional and school-to-school variation in attendance. It told us that schools’ levels of confidence in making judgements on which children were safe to attend school varied, and that in the future it might look at how to improve the advice and support available to help schools make these decisions.30
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation, detailing its 2020-21 recovery plan for children with SEND, which includes close work with DHSC, NHS England, and Public Health England to assess therapy impacts. It highlights £500 million announced by DHSC for mental health, with £31 million …
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HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
Written evidence we received made it clear that some children with SEND struggled to learn remotely. SENSE told us that home learning resources were not always appropriate or tailored to the needs of children with complex disabilities, and that many children were left without the specialist equipment they needed, making …
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Written evidence we received made it clear that some children with SEND struggled to learn remotely. SENSE told us that home learning resources were not always appropriate or tailored to the needs of children with complex disabilities, and that many children were left without the specialist equipment they needed, making it more difficult for them to communicate and learn remotely.31 The Institute of Education at the University of Reading highlighted how some parents had to adapt learning materials sent by schools to fit their child’s needs or source alternative materials from elsewhere.32
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns regarding the difficulties SEND children faced with remote learning and lack of appropriate resources, stating it is assessing the pandemic's impact on therapy access and highlighting existing investments in mental health support and services for individuals with learning disabilities …
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HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
We asked the Department what actions it had taken to help children with SEND to learn from home. It told us that it recognised many children with SEND faced real difficulties in learning remotely. As examples of actions it had taken, it highlighted: the SEND-specific provision offered by Oak National …
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We asked the Department what actions it had taken to help children with SEND to learn from home. It told us that it recognised many children with SEND faced real difficulties in learning remotely. As examples of actions it had taken, it highlighted: the SEND-specific provision offered by Oak National Academy which had been welcomed because it allowed people to work at their own pace; expertise on SEND remote education 25 COE0014 SENSE submission, page 4 26 C&AG’s Report, para 2.3 27 COE0014 SENSE submission, page 3 28 Q 76 29 Letter to Committee from DfE dated 22 April 2021 30 Q 76 31 COE0014 SENSE submission, pages 5–6 32 COE0022 University of Reading submission, pages 3–4 12 COVID-19: Support for children’s education highlighted by its programme for demonstrating good practice in the use of education technology; and SEND-specific components of online training for remote education it was providing to schools.33
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation, detailing its 2020-21 recovery plan for children with SEND, which includes close work with DHSC, NHS England, and Public Health England to assess therapy impacts. It highlights £500 million announced by DHSC for mental health, with £31 million …
Read full response →
HM Treasury
19
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
We asked the Department whether it was evaluating the impact of not being able to attend school on the health of children with SEND. In subsequent written evidence, it told us that it would continue to assess the impact of the pandemic and its COVID-19 recovery plans on all pupils, …
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We asked the Department whether it was evaluating the impact of not being able to attend school on the health of children with SEND. In subsequent written evidence, it told us that it would continue to assess the impact of the pandemic and its COVID-19 recovery plans on all pupils, including those with SEND, to ensure that it targeted its support effectively.34 In addition, during the oral evidence session, the Department said that, in planning for future disruption, it wanted to look at how it had worked jointly with the Department of Health and Social Care—for example, on the identification of clinically extremely vulnerable children.35 Provision of IT equipment
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees, stating it is working closely with DHSC to assess the pandemic's impact on SEND children's access to therapies and detailing significant funding for mental health support teams and services for autistic children and those with learning disabilities.
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HM Treasury
20
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Rejected
The Department recognised that a lack of IT equipment was likely to hamper the ability of vulnerable and disadvantaged children to learn remotely and access online social care services. It initially considered providing 602,000 laptops or tablets and 100,000 4G routers for vulnerable children and those in all priority groups …
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The Department recognised that a lack of IT equipment was likely to hamper the ability of vulnerable and disadvantaged children to learn remotely and access online social care services. It initially considered providing 602,000 laptops or tablets and 100,000 4G routers for vulnerable children and those in all priority groups who did not have access. However, it decided to cut back these plans due to the difficulty of supplying devices on this scale. By the end of the summer term, it had delivered almost 215,000 laptops or tablets and 50,000 routers for children with a social worker and care leavers, and for disadvantaged children in year 10.36 The Department confirmed that, during the early phase of the pandemic, it had focused on supporting children at greatest risk and those who were facing exams in the following year.37
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Government response AI summary
The government explicitly disagrees with the implicit recommendation regarding IT equipment provision, justifying its £400 million investment and 1.3 million devices, while outlining future strategic approaches and evaluations but not committing to further provision or addressing the cutbacks mentioned.
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HM Treasury
21
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Rejected
The Department continued to distribute IT equipment during the 2020/21 school year, focusing on disadvantaged children whose schooling had been disrupted or who had been advised to shield for medical reasons.38 The Department told us that by spring 2021 it had distributed nearly 1.3 million devices and that orders were …
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The Department continued to distribute IT equipment during the 2020/21 school year, focusing on disadvantaged children whose schooling had been disrupted or who had been advised to shield for medical reasons.38 The Department told us that by spring 2021 it had distributed nearly 1.3 million devices and that orders were now coming to an end, indicating that schools had enough devices to cover all of their children who were eligible for free school meals.39 The Department said that this provision represented an investment of £400 million in IT equipment for schools.40
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects an implied recommendation regarding ongoing responsibility for IT equipment, stating it has already invested significantly in devices which are now owned and maintained by schools, while committing to developing a strategic approach to technology use in education.
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HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Rejected
In their written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers and The Children’s Society told us that the limited scope of the Department’s provision in the spring and summer of 2020 meant that many children did not have the devices or internet access they needed.41 The Department told us that …
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In their written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers and The Children’s Society told us that the limited scope of the Department’s provision in the spring and summer of 2020 meant that many children did not have the devices or internet access they needed.41 The Department told us that it had been up against global supply constraints, meaning that it had not been able to distribute equipment as quickly as it had wanted. We asked the Department about reports of large families having to share one laptop between many children. The Department explained that if all the children in 33 Qq 78–80 34 Qq 112–113; Letter to Committee from DfE dated 22 April 2021 35 Q 77 36 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.18, 2.19 and Figure 6 37 Q 58 38 C&AG’s Report, para 2.22 39 Q 58 40 Q 66 41 COE0003 National Association of Head Teachers submission, page 4; COE0011 Children’s Society submission, pages 3–4 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 13 a family were receiving free school meals, it would hold information on them separately, and each would be eligible to receive a device. It said that schools were still (at the time we took evidence on 25 March) able to order more devices if they needed them.42
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the committee's observation, citing significant past investment of over £400 million in devices and training. It states that institutions own and maintain the allocated devices, and commits to developing an evidence-based strategic approach to technology use in education while evaluating past …
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HM Treasury
23
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Rejected
We asked the Department about its plan for remote learning in the future since the laptops that had been distributed would need replacing in due course. The Department told us that the pandemic had shown that there was an appetite for support from the Department. It aimed to provide guidance …
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We asked the Department about its plan for remote learning in the future since the laptops that had been distributed would need replacing in due course. The Department told us that the pandemic had shown that there was an appetite for support from the Department. It aimed to provide guidance and information, in particular to build knowledge among schools about what good-quality remote education looks like. But the Department also noted that there was a balance to be struck between doing things centrally and allowing schools the autonomy to make their own choices.43
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the committee's observation, citing significant past investment of over £400 million in devices and training. It states that institutions own and maintain the allocated devices, and commits to developing an evidence-based strategic approach to technology use in education while evaluating past …
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HM Treasury
24
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Rejected
The Department clarified that schools or local authorities owned the devices that had been supplied. They would need to decide how to deal with obsolescence and maintain the provision of up-to-date equipment for pupils, using their core budgets.44 42 Q 60 43 Qq 61–62 44 Qq 64–66 14 COVID-19: Support …
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The Department clarified that schools or local authorities owned the devices that had been supplied. They would need to decide how to deal with obsolescence and maintain the provision of up-to-date equipment for pupils, using their core budgets.44 42 Q 60 43 Qq 61–62 44 Qq 64–66 14 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 2 Catch-up learning Learning loss
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Government response AI summary
The government explicitly disagrees with the implicit recommendation, stating that devices are owned and maintained by institutions using their core budgets, while outlining plans for a future evidence-based strategic approach to technology in education.
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HM Treasury
25
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
We received written evidence from a number of research bodies indicating that disadvantaged children had suffered most as a result of the disruption to schooling. A survey by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that, on average, students from disadvantaged backgrounds spent less time on remote learning and were less …
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We received written evidence from a number of research bodies indicating that disadvantaged children had suffered most as a result of the disruption to schooling. A survey by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that, on average, students from disadvantaged backgrounds spent less time on remote learning and were less likely to have access to online classes, home technology and a quiet study space.45 The Institute for Social and Economic Research also found that children in the most advantaged families, who had their own computer, spent more time on school work than disadvantaged children, who had to share a computer.46
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's findings regarding disadvantaged children and is actively implementing an education recovery strategy. It is developing metrics, commissioning studies for baseline assessment and ongoing monitoring of learning loss, and evaluating specific interventions to understand their effectiveness.
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HM Treasury
26
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
Evidence from the National Foundation for Educational Research, based on estimates by teachers in July 2020, indicated that on average the learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers had increased by 46%. Teachers in the most deprived schools were also over three times more likely to report that their …
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Evidence from the National Foundation for Educational Research, based on estimates by teachers in July 2020, indicated that on average the learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers had increased by 46%. Teachers in the most deprived schools were also over three times more likely to report that their pupils were four months or more behind in their curriculum-related learning, compared with teachers in the least deprived schools.47 Interim findings from the Department’s own research found that pupils in secondary schools with high levels of free school meal eligibility experienced 2.2 months of reading learning loss, compared with 1.5 months in schools with low levels of eligibility.48
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees, committing to developing metrics to monitor and reduce year-on-year lost learning, and detailing several commissioned studies and evaluations to track learning loss and the impact of catch-up interventions, with results to be collated to assess overall programme performance.
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HM Treasury
27
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
We challenged the Department on why it had not set basic expectations for schools’ provision during the 2019/20 summer term. It highlighted that the circumstances had been unprecedented, and that schools had been asked to work in entirely new ways, remaining open to vulnerable children and children of critical workers …
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We challenged the Department on why it had not set basic expectations for schools’ provision during the 2019/20 summer term. It highlighted that the circumstances had been unprecedented, and that schools had been asked to work in entirely new ways, remaining open to vulnerable children and children of critical workers but closing to other children. In this context, the Department had felt it was right to relieve pressure on schools and “ask less, not more in that moment”. The Department explained that it had also needed to learn what good looked like under those circumstances, and that it would have been a challenge early in the pandemic to set out expectations that were well founded. However, it conceded that in hindsight, if it had understood how long the period of disruption would last, it might have done something different in the expectations it had set out.49 Catch-up learning programme
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HM Treasury
28
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
In June 2020, to help make up for the learning that children had lost during the disruption to schooling, the Department announced £1 billion of funding for a catch- up learning programme. The programme includes a £650 million universal catch-up premium allocated to schools on a per-pupil basis, and a …
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In June 2020, to help make up for the learning that children had lost during the disruption to schooling, the Department announced £1 billion of funding for a catch- up learning programme. The programme includes a £650 million universal catch-up premium allocated to schools on a per-pupil basis, and a £350 million National Tutoring Programme (NTP) targeted at disadvantaged children.50 The Department set out a further £700 million in February 2021, including: a £302 million ‘recovery premium’ for 45 COE0029 Institute for Fiscal Studies submission, page 2 46 COE0027 Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex submission, page 2 47 COE0025 National Foundation for Educational Research submission, page 5 48 C&AG’s Report, para 3.5 49 Qq 46–48 50 C&AG’s Report, paras 3.7–3.8 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 15 schools; a further £200 million to expand the tutoring programme and support language development in early years settings; and £200 million for secondary schools to provide summer schools for those pupils who need it most.51
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the Committee's observation regarding the catch-up learning programme, committing to develop metrics to monitor lost learning, commission evaluations of specific interventions, and provide a detailed update to the Committee in Autumn 2021.
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HM Treasury
29
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The Department told us that it was determined that the catch-up learning programme should address the widening attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. For example, it explained that its focus for the ‘academic mentors’ scheme was on schools with a high number of pupils eligible for free school …
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The Department told us that it was determined that the catch-up learning programme should address the widening attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. For example, it explained that its focus for the ‘academic mentors’ scheme was on schools with a high number of pupils eligible for free school meals. In addition, it said that, while the 2020/21 catch-up premium was based on overall pupil numbers, the 2021/22 recovery premium funding would be based on numbers of pupils eligible for pupil premium and thereby explicitly targeted at deprivation.52
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation, stating it is developing metrics to monitor the education recovery strategy and will report to the Committee in Autumn 2021. It has commissioned Renaissance Learning and Ipsos MORI for baseline assessments and studies on learning loss and catch-up …
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HM Treasury
30
Recommendation
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Acknowledged
We asked the Department how it would know that the catch-up programme was working. It said that evaluation would be a central part of the development of the NTP, and that success would be achieved if the schemes reached large numbers of children who would benefit from tutoring and if …
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We asked the Department how it would know that the catch-up programme was working. It said that evaluation would be a central part of the development of the NTP, and that success would be achieved if the schemes reached large numbers of children who would benefit from tutoring and if those children made significant progress as a result. The Department has commissioned independent evaluations of the NTP ‘tuition partners’ and academic mentors schemes, and an independent research study into how schools are using catch-up premium funds. However, the Department did not tell us more precisely what indicators it would use to judge the effectiveness of individual schemes or the catch-up programme as a whole.53 National Tutoring Programme
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation but describes its ongoing monitoring, target setting for providers, and evaluations without specifically committing to provide the requested precise indicators to the committee.
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HM Treasury
31
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The Department told us that past evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) had shown that tutoring programmes could help children make between three and five months’ progress in their learning.54 The Department has provided £80 million for the NTP tuition partners scheme in 2020/21. The scheme is aimed at …
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The Department told us that past evaluations by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) had shown that tutoring programmes could help children make between three and five months’ progress in their learning.54 The Department has provided £80 million for the NTP tuition partners scheme in 2020/21. The scheme is aimed at disadvantaged children and covers 75% of the costs of one-to-one and small group tuition, with schools funding the remainder of the costs. The scheme is being led by EEF and tutoring is provided by 33 tuition partners. The Department expects the scheme to reach between 200,000 and 250,000 children in the 2020/21 school year.55
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation regarding the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), stating it will continue the NTP in 2021-22 with increased reach and monitor regional spread and engagement. It will set operational targets for providers to ensure minimum reach in low-attainment areas and …
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HM Treasury
32
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
The Department said that tutoring had the potential to be an important and lasting part of the educational landscape.56 However, it acknowledged that the tutoring market was developing, and that securing enough tutors and developing the workforce was a challenge for providers.57 It accepted that it was difficult to get …
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The Department said that tutoring had the potential to be an important and lasting part of the educational landscape.56 However, it acknowledged that the tutoring market was developing, and that securing enough tutors and developing the workforce was a challenge for providers.57 It accepted that it was difficult to get access to good-quality tutoring provision in the places where it was most needed, but it believed that a benefit of establishing a large national programme and therefore a demand for tutors would be the creation of tutoring capacity in places where there might not otherwise be any.58 The Department told us that individuals did not need to have teaching qualifications in order 51 C&AG’s Report, para 3.19 52 Q 72 53 Qq 91–92; C&AG’s Report, paras 3.12 and 3.14 54 Qq 68, 92 55 C&AG’s Report, para 3.15 and Figure 8 56 Q 88 57 Qq 95–96 58 Q 97 16 COVID-19: Support for children’s education to become a tutor, but explained that it wanted there to be a minimum quality standard so that schools had access to good-quality provision. It said that EEF had assessed every tutoring provider that had applied to be part of the scheme.59
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the issues around tutoring market development and quality, detailing how it is continuing and expanding the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) for 2021-22 with increased reach, operational targets for providers, and rigorous quality monitoring to address these challenges.
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HM Treasury
33
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
Although the tuition partners scheme is intended to support disadvantaged children, the Department has not specified what proportion of children accessing the scheme should be eligible for pupil premium. At February 2021, just 44% of children receiving tuition were eligible for pupil premium funding, raising questions over whether the scheme …
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Although the tuition partners scheme is intended to support disadvantaged children, the Department has not specified what proportion of children accessing the scheme should be eligible for pupil premium. At February 2021, just 44% of children receiving tuition were eligible for pupil premium funding, raising questions over whether the scheme would reach the most disadvantaged children.60 We also received written evidence which raised concerns over whether the scheme was large enough to reach potentially between 1.2 million and 2 million children in need of support.61
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation regarding the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), stating it will continue the NTP in 2021-22 with increased reach and monitor regional spread and engagement. It will set operational targets for providers to ensure minimum reach in low-attainment areas and …
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HM Treasury
34
Conclusion
Third Report - COVID-19: Support for ch…
Accepted
Alongside the NTP tuition partners scheme, the Department is funding an academic mentors scheme led by Teach First, which aims to place between 1,000 and 1,200 mentors in disadvantaged schools in the 2020/21 school year. However, at February 2021, more than 600 schools who had requested a mentor had not …
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Alongside the NTP tuition partners scheme, the Department is funding an academic mentors scheme led by Teach First, which aims to place between 1,000 and 1,200 mentors in disadvantaged schools in the 2020/21 school year. However, at February 2021, more than 600 schools who had requested a mentor had not been given one.62 The Department said that Teach First had done well in recruiting mentors so far, but accepted that schools had made more requests for mentors than the scheme was able to meet. It said that this demonstrated the challenge of recruiting enough mentors, and told us that it wanted to increase the number of mentors in future years.63 59 Qq 98–103 60 C&AG’s Report, para 3.15 61 COE0013 Professor Lee Elliot-Major and Mr Andrew Eyles submission, page 7 62 C&AG’s Report, para 3.16 63 Qq 93–94 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 17
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the academic mentor shortfall and describes its continuation and expansion of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) for academic year 2021-22, committing to increased reach, operational targets for provider performance, and ongoing quality monitoring, aligning with its earlier stated intention to increase mentor …
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HM Treasury