Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
7
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Is the Catch-up Program…
Accepted in Part
Rates of persistent absence remain concerning, and the number of ‘ghost children’ who are experiencing severe levels of absence from school remains far too high. The Government needs to do much more to get these children back in school, which is the best place to ensure they will be safe …
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Rates of persistent absence remain concerning, and the number of ‘ghost children’ who are experiencing severe levels of absence from school remains far too high. The Government needs to do much more to get these children back in school, which is the best place to ensure they will be safe and reach their potential. The Department should also be publishing more regular, up-to-date data, on the number of persistently absent children, including data on children with special educational needs and disabilities.
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to creating local authority registers for children not in school, a duty on local authorities to support home educators, and reviewing the school attendance system, but deferred legislation to a 'suitable opportunity'.
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Department for Education
8
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Is the Catch-up Program…
Accepted in Part
The Department must take steps to address the issue of persistent absence and ensure no more children become ‘ghost children’. We welcome the Department’s formation of an ‘attendance alliance’ and its consultation on reducing avoidable absence in schools, however these children need tangible action now. The Department must urgently set …
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The Department must take steps to address the issue of persistent absence and ensure no more children become ‘ghost children’. We welcome the Department’s formation of an ‘attendance alliance’ and its consultation on reducing avoidable absence in schools, however these children need tangible action now. The Department must urgently set out proactive measures, working with schools and local authorities, to get these pupils back into school. The Government should also implement, as a matter of urgency, a national register of children not in school, as recommended in our previous report Strengthening Home Education. (Paragraph 39) The National Tutoring Programme and Randstad
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to creating local authority registers for children not in school, a duty on local authorities to support home educators, and reviewing the school attendance system, but deferred legislation to a 'suitable opportunity'.
Read full response →
Department for Education
12
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Is the Catch-up Program…
Accepted in Part
We heard that the Department’s plans to taper the subsidies for the National Tutoring Programme are a “real concern”, which may inhibit school take up in some of the most disadvantaged areas. Therefore, to ensure that it does not unfairly prevent schools in more disadvantaged areas from taking up the …
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We heard that the Department’s plans to taper the subsidies for the National Tutoring Programme are a “real concern”, which may inhibit school take up in some of the most disadvantaged areas. Therefore, to ensure that it does not unfairly prevent schools in more disadvantaged areas from taking up the tutoring offer, the Department must also review the plans to reduce the subsidies to the three tutoring pillars and consider maintaining the existing subsidy rates in the most disadvantaged areas, until the data suggests these children have caught up with their learning.
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Government response AI summary
The government announced plans to align subsidies across all routes next year to cover 60% of the unit cost, with allocations based on the numbers of pupils in schools eligible for pupil premium and a subsidy rate of 25% in 2023/24.
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Department for Education
19
Recommendation
Fourth Report - Is the Catch-up Program…
Accepted in Part
Throughout our inquiry, we have heard that pupils’ wellbeing and mental health have been one of the greatest challenges as schools return. All pupils should undergo a mental health and wellbeing assessment to understand the scale of the problem and schools may wish to direct some of the recovery funding …
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Throughout our inquiry, we have heard that pupils’ wellbeing and mental health have been one of the greatest challenges as schools return. All pupils should undergo a mental health and wellbeing assessment to understand the scale of the problem and schools may wish to direct some of the recovery funding to address mental health difficulties. They should be supported to invest in evidence informed interventions to help pupils. We know that Ofsted inspectors will be looking at how subject leaders and teachers have identified and responded to pupils’ learning gaps as a result of the pandemic. We would like Ofsted to make it clear in their guidance that they will also look for evidence that schools have sought to identify and respond to the mental health and wellbeing needs of their students.
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Government response AI summary
The government recognises the challenges schools face and states that training for school senior mental health leads covers the importance of measuring need; however, they do not believe that it is practical, nor necessary, for every child to undergo a clinical assessment of their mental …
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Department for Education