Select committee: Education Committee
Recommendation 8
Fourth Report - Is the Catch-up Programme fit for purpose?
Published 10 Mar 2022
Paragraph 39
Addressed to Department for Education
Education Committee The Government’s Catch-up programme All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
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.
From: Education Committee, Fourth Report - Is the Catch-up Programme fit for purpose? (HC 940), paragraph 39, 10 March 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 May 2022 (deadline 10 May 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it "agrees with the overarching ambition of the report" and that it accepts "most of the recommendations", while not fully accepting or only partially accepting others because existing or planned policies will support its vision.
- On tutoring, it will not extend Randstad's contract beyond its initial term, which "expires on 31 August 2022", and will reprocure delivery partners. All tutoring funding will go directly to schools next year.
- On a national register of children not in school, it reaffirms its commitment to local authority registers and says "We hope to legislate for this at the next suitable opportunity."
- On a mental health assessment for all pupils, it states "we do not believe that it is practical, nor necessary, for every child to undergo a clinical assessment of their mental health and wellbeing."
- On the school day, it will introduce a minimum expectation of a 32.5 hour week in state-funded mainstream schools, which it expects schools to work towards "as soon as possible and by September 2023 at the latest".