Context

Due to the unprecedented educational disruption caused by COVID-19, the government has allocated a budget of £3.1 billion to mitigate the impact of school closures in 2020 and 2021 for children. Full details can be found here. Schools should utilise the funding for specific activities that support pupils to mitigate the impact of lost teaching caused by months of school closures. Schools should align the funding with the government guidance curriculum expectations, which seek to ensure all pupils - particularly those that are disadvantaged, SEND and vulnerable – are given necessary catch-up support to make substantial progress.

Curriculum Expectations

• Education is not optional - All pupils receive a high-quality education that promotes their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
• The curriculum remains broad and ambitious - All pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, maintaining their choices for further study and employment.
• Remote education - All pupils receive remote education where needed, which is high-quality, safe and aligns as closely as possible with in-school provision.

Funding

The recovery premium will be allocated using the same data as Pupil Premium. This means that the following pupils are eligible for the recovery premium:

1. Post looked-after children (post-LAC)
2. Children who are looked after by local authorities and referred to as looked-after children (LAC)
3. Pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years
4. Pupils who are eligible for free school meals (FSM)

School allocations will be calculated on a per pupil basis with mainstream schools receiving £145 for each eligible pupil.

Accountability and monitoring

Schools must show how they are using their recovery premium effectively by reporting on their use of recovery premium as part of their pupil premium strategy statement and through inspections by Ofsted (as part of these inspections, inspectors may discuss plans schools have to spend their recovery premium funding) 

National Tutoring Programme

The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is an ambitious scheme intended to provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people in schools who have been most affected by disruption to their education as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Tutoring is one of the most effective ways to accelerate pupil progress. Evidence suggests that small group and one-to-one tuition can boost progress by 3 to 5 months per pupil. By providing high-quality tuition to pupils through the NTP, we want to extend this catch-up opportunity to pupils whose education has been impacted the most by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June 2021, the Department for Education announced that it was investing a further £1 billion in its education recovery programme over the next few years.

Guilsborough Academy will utilise the following tuition routes:

• Tuition partners – MyTutor
• School-led tutoring

 

Overview of strategy at Guilsborough Academy

The EEF guidance suggest 3 categories of support, which Guilsborough Academy will utilise;

1. Teaching and whole-school strategies

• Access to quality first teaching for all students
• Student assessment and feedback (academic and wellbeing)
• Professional development (with a specific focus on early career teachers)

2. Targeted support

• High quality one to one and small-group tuition
• Structured interventions (with a specific focus on Literacy and Numeracy)
• Planning for pupils with SEND and SEMH
• Professional development for Teaching Assistants or volunteers that may be delivering tuition

3. Wider strategies

• Supporting students social, emotional and behavioural needs
• Pastoral support for students and their families
• Communication with and supporting parents and carers
• Supporting remote learning (devices and facilities in school)

Our full Covid-19 Catch-up Strategy document can be found here and the 16-19 Tuition Fund Statement here.