School s call for 'catch-up' funding

School bosses have called on the Government to give an additional £5.8bn to help pupils whose learning has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

A letter to the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson by influential school leaders sets out recovery funding proposals and catch-up plans for the next three years.

Signatories include Geoff Barton of the Association Of School and College Leaders, David Hughes of the Association of Colleges, Leora Cruddas of the Confederation of School Trusts, and Lucy Heller of Ark Schools.

The group welcomed the Government's pledge to provide £3bn to help pupils make up for lost learning, but said it was not enough.

The letter says: "The pandemic has had a profound impact on schools and colleges and the lives of pupils. Two lengthy periods of closure have left many students behind where they should be.

"We welcome the £3 billion the Government has committed over the past two years, but as you have said yourself, this won't be enough to deal with the scale of the challenge left by Covid.”

It adds: "We know that public finances are squeezed but choosing not to invest in the future of young people, at this crucial moment, will only lead to greater costs down the line.”

Mr Williamson said: "Keeping children in the classroom helps them catch up. We are boosting the tutoring that is available to pupils so that millions more can benefit from the support they provide and we see a real tutoring revolution take place in our schools."