Extra cash welcomed but ‘more is needed’
THE GOVERNMENT has promised £1.7bn to help pupils in England catch up on lost school time - although teachers’ unions say more is needed.
This includes a £720m package, with funding for secondary summer schools, and expansion of the National Tutoring Programme, offering one-to-one tuition.
“All school leaders welcome a proposed injection of spending to support children’s learning after a very difficult 12 months which has seen a real knock to children’s academic progress, emotional health and overall development,” said Mungo Sheppard, head teacher at Ash Green Primary. “However, much of the additional spending promised is not new money and also is only part way to bringing back school funding to previous levels regardless of the pandemic. Pre-Covid, schools were highlighting the severe real terms cuts that we had suffered and the fact that virtually every school was undertaking spending reviews and restructuring staffing - not to the benefit of children but because shrinking budgets demanded that. Extra cash now is a start, school leaders need to be trusted to allocate that for what their children need to thrive - that will not be cramming sessions of academic ‘catch up’. Then, there needs to be continued pressure that schools - just like other underfunded elements of the public sector such as the NHS - are given a fair deal moving forward and that our children, the future of this country, are given the best opportunities possible to move forward from the most difficult year of their lives in a school system that is properly valued and properly funded.”