Schools urged to focus on core skills and storytime for catch-up

TEACHERS tasked with ensuring students do not fall too far behind as a result of the coronavirus pandemic have been warned they may need to “substantially” modify the curriculum.

Schools have been urged to focus on core skills that will give children under 14 the tools to progress into new topics, in fresh non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE).

The new guidance says schools should “prioritise missed content that will allow pupils to make sense of later work in the curriculum” by honing young children’s key knowledge, skills and vocabulary. The advice is aimed at helping schools “decide how to prioritise elements within their curriculum for education recovery”, the DfE said.

Early years teachers are being urged to make daily storytime a priority and help children thrive by choosing books to read aloud “that will engage them emotionally”.

In maths, school leaders were told they could best support education recovery by focusing on the core, basic skills.

The guidance acknowledges that in some subjects, such as history, geography and religious education, a lack of knowledge on one topic will not impede students’ ability to learn about another area.

The DfE also advised teachers to be on the lookout for students struggling to use digital devices.

Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the Government should “focus on its promise that no child would be left behind” and provide investment in comprehensive plans to address the impact of Covid-19.