“The Government should work with councils and schools on education recovery and set out plans for the summer and beyond as soon as possible to help teachers and staff plan ahead to make up for lost learning due to the pandemic."
Responding to a National Audit Office report on support for children’s education during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:
“Councils have been instrumental in supporting all schools throughout the pandemic, including working to support vulnerable pupils and interpreting guidance to help ensure learning has continued as safely and effectively as possible for all children and young people.
“It is essential that the Government learns from what’s happened over the last 12 months as we focus on education recovery, including looking into the shortage of academic mentors in disadvantaged areas and building on resources developed to tackle societal inequalities and better support children and young people’s recovery from the pandemic.
“The Government should work with councils and schools on education recovery and set out plans for the summer and beyond as soon as possible to help teachers and staff plan ahead to make up for lost learning due to the pandemic.
“Councils are particularly concerned about the needs of disadvantaged children who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. It is vital that catch-up support is strictly targeted to avoid any further widening of education gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.”