A blueprint for a stronger and fairer system for all: Education recovery cannot happen on the cheap

Today (Wed 26 May), NAHT (@NAHTEdge), the union which represents leaders in the majority of schools, publishes ‘A blueprint for a stronger and fairer system for all’ which sets out seven recommendations for the government to include in its own, as yet unpublished, ‘recovery report’.

The Public Accounts Committee of MPs also publishes their report into the Department for Education’s handling of the pandemic today.

Both reports are published alongside concerns from school leaders that the government will not fund this recovery work sufficiently, and a warning that this risks harming the life chances of pupils at a critical time. 

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said:

“Schools have gone to incredible lengths in order to protect and care for pupils in the most unimaginably challenging of times. There is no doubt that this vital work helped to shield large numbers of children from the worst effects of the pandemic.

“While the government has been deliberating, school staff have already been quietly, but determinedly, getting on with the crucial task of supporting pupils. In fact, this work never stopped. It is essential that the recovery effort of the next few years recognises and builds on the excellent work that has already been done. Simplistic ‘bolt-on’ measures will not work and should be avoided.

“The government has promised that the recovery effort will see ‘no child will be left behind’. That is the right approach. But it is also a big promise. The only way the government keeps that promise is by fully backing the recovery effort with ambitious funding too.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that in today’s unsettled world this country’s long term future depends on the young people in school and college now. We have to give them everything we can to help them make a better fist of it than we have. A failure to invest in education is a failure to invest in the nation’s future.”

NAHT’s recovery ‘blueprint’ features seven recommendations for the government:

1. Prioritise the early years
2. Improve support for mental health and wellbeing
3. Invest in the teaching profession
4. Provide targeted academic support for pupils who need it
5. Expand extra-curricular provision and invest in extra-curricular providers
6. Invest in school technology
7. Remove unnecessary burdens and distractions

Mr Whiteman concluded:

“The government has an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of young people, both in the short and long term. But this will only come true if there is significant new investment from the Treasury to support the good work of schools. NAHT is being deliberately ambitious. The UK government cannot let other countries steal a march on us with their investment when we throw crumbs at our own version. The question we have posed in this report is – ‘just how ambitious are the government prepared to be?’”

Carole Willis, the chief executive of the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) said:

“We welcome this paper, particularly the 12 guiding principles on education recovery.

“Having undertaken extensive research into the impacts of the pandemic on schools and children, we have highlighted the importance of a significant and sustained programme of recovery.

“This must go beyond academic learning to encompass measures that address children’s mental health needs and their wellbeing. It must also extend beyond primary and secondary schools as young people leave school and require support from further education (FE), higher education (HE) and employers to address the challenges they have also experienced over the last 18 months.

“The government’s recovery strategy must address the financial pressures resulting from Covid and ensure there is support from the profession for their proposals.

“We have reported on the big increase in the numbers training to be teachers, but there is no room for complacency. The increase in teacher supply may be short-lived if it is not accompanied by appropriate pay, support and professional development – particularly after such a challenging year.

“Above all, the NAHT is right to call for an ambitious programme for education – one which not only enables children to ‘recover’, but which sets in train a long-term and evidence-based programme to close the disadvantage gap, enable all schools to move from good to great, and all children and young people to achieve their potential.”

Kate Green MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“The Conservatives’ have over promised and under delivered on children’s recovery. They have no plans to boost wellbeing and social development despite children having months away from their friends while their miserly recovery funding and inadequate, poorly targeted tutoring programme are falling short of the targeted academic support needed.

“Ministers must now listen to headteachers experience and expertise and ensure schools can deliver the activities and support needed to help every child reach their potential.

“Children are excited to back with their friends in school and feel ambitious and optimistic about their futures. We must match this ambition and put children at the heart of our national recovery.”

The Public Accounts Committee of MPs report into the Department for Education’s handling of the pandemic 

A new report from the Public Accounts Committee which found that disruption to schooling during the pandemic had a “particularly detrimental impact” on the education and health of children with SEND.

Today’s report shows that children with SEND “found remote learning especially difficult, and some lost access to specialist support and equipment, increasing risks to their health and welfare”.

National disability charity Sense welcomes the report’s recommendation that the Department for Education should work with the Department of Health and Social Care to identify specific actions to help children with SEND recover from the damage caused during the pandemic. Sense is calling for a comprehensive plan from government which recognises the need for additional health and social care support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Sense Chief Executive Richard Kramer said:

“Today’s report highlights yet again the devastating impact of the pandemic on disabled children. Many of them have missed out on vital education for more than a year now, as well as the therapies, support and specialist equipment which they access through school.

“It is unacceptable for disabled children and their families to experience such prolonged disruption to their education and health, and for some support to still not be fully restored. This lack of education and support means many disabled children’s mental and physical health has suffered and we cannot allow them to be left behind as the rest of society comes out of lockdown.

“Government must learn from the events of the past year and ensure all disabled children receive the care, support, and education they are entitled to. We urgently need a clear recovery plan for disabled children and their families, along with appropriate funding and resources, to support them to catch up on lost learning and receive the right care to meet their needs.”

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:

“Councils and schools want to work with the Government on education recovery and to ensure that no child is left behind. We share concerns about the needs of disadvantaged children who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“Schools are the second highest source of referrals to children’s social care. With many children having been out of sight of support services for significant periods during the pandemic, teachers and school staff must be given the time to build good relationships with children and to carry out their safeguarding duties, alongside a focus on lost education.

“We hope to see the detail behind the Government’s education recovery plan as soon as possible. It is vital that all children who need support get it when they need it. With the right funding, councils can ensure services are in place to support families, to help stop problems from escalating and to identify situations where children may be at risk, including those arising from hidden harms.”

National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) chief executive, Carole Willis, said:

“NFER’s early research into the impact of Covid-19 on education showed that, despite the introduction of remote education, teachers estimated that their pupils missed significant learning. NFER’s more recent studies have demonstrated that for year two pupils, the scale of that missed learning is an average of two months progress, whilst the disadvantage gap in reading and maths is at seven months.

“We will continue our rigorous research into the impact of Covid-19 on education and the impact of potential measures to enable children to recover. This will assist decision-makers in developing policy to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people who have been affected by the pandemic.

“The government has recognised the importance of supporting education following such a major period of disruption and their actions going forward will need to match the scale of the need.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“The findings of this report are extremely disappointing but not surprising to us. Throughout the pandemic, the DfE has been playing catch-up. The individual efforts of schools have almost always been quicker and better than anything centrally managed from Whitehall.

“The list of failures is extensive. While the government has been deliberating, school staff have already been quietly, but determinedly, getting on with the crucial task of supporting pupils. There is no doubt that this vital work helped to shield large numbers of children from the worst effects of the pandemic.

“Nevertheless, a credible government plan for recovery is absolutely essential. We are still waiting for this to see the light of day, which is why today we have published our own education recovery ‘blueprint’ to bring about a stronger and fairer post-pandemic system for all pupils.”

Mr Whiteman concluded:

“The PAC is right to focus on technology. The government’s efforts to provide disadvantaged learners with laptops only hit its target in February, almost a full year after the pandemic first hit. In our report, we highlight the need to invest in technology on an ongoing basis. As the PAC identifies, schools should not be expected to bear these costs out of already stretched budgets.

“We agree that the DfE should set out how it intends to gain assurance on the quantity and quality of tutoring provided under the National Tutoring Programme. As we have said, the scope of this has some unhelpful limitations that may mean not all pupils receive the support they need.

“The recovery mission will take a significant investment of new money from the Treasury. The PAC is right to demand that this represents value for money. Education professionals are well aware that recovery work – already begun in most schools – will take several years, and schools will need the backing of government for all of that time.”

‘Miserly recovery funding’: The funding the Government announced for education recovery in February amounts to 43p per day for each child across the next school year:

‘Inadequate tutoring programme’: At an education select committee hearing on 29 April, Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP said: “the latest figures are that of those enrolled, over 110,000 have commenced tutoring and 44% of those are eligible for pupil premium funding.” 

This equates to just 1.24% of children receiving support under the Government’s tutoring scheme.