Heads have said they are “confused” by apparent contradictions in the government’s advice to schools on how to use its multimillion-pound coronavirus recovery fund.
The Department for Education (DfE) has today announced a £1 billion package to help tackle the impact of teaching time lost owing to the pandemic - including £350 million earmarked for a tutoring scheme for the most disadvantaged pupils, and £650 million to be shared across state schools over the 2020-21 academic year.
But heads say the DfE’s plans for the latter part of the fund don’t make sense, as the department appears to grant schools freedom to decide how the money is spent, while simultaneously setting out expectations for the cash to be invested in “small group tuition” for pupils in need.
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The DfE said in a statement: “As plans continue for a full return to education from September, the government has announced £650 million will be shared across state primary and secondary schools over the 2020-21 academic year.
“Whilst headteachers will decide how the money is spent, the government expects this to be spent on small group tuition for whoever needs it.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the government was sending out mixed messages.
“On the £650 million funding to be shared across state primary and secondary schools, we are confused by the assertion that headteachers will decide how the money is spent, when this is immediately followed by an expectation that it should be used on small group tuition,” he said.
Schools minister Nick Gibb said this morning that schools will be able to use the £650 million fund “at their discretion” to help children catch up on missed work.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Gibb said the government wants to ensure no pupils face any long-term detriment to their education as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “Schools have done a brilliant job in providing online lessons for children, providing them work while they’re at home.
“But nothing beats children being back in the classroom in terms of the quality of the education and we want to make sure that no child loses out, has any long-term detriment to their education as a consequence of this crisis.
“So that’s why we’re allocating this huge sum of money, £650 million to schools to use at their discretion, to ensure that every child can catch up over the course of the next academic year.”
Further details on other ways schools can spend the money are expected to be released by the Education Endowment Foundation later today.
