The shadow education secretary has said that she would like to turn around the tutoring “disaster” rolled out under this Conservative government as part of a bid to tackle the “long shadow” created by Covid.
Speaking at an event at the Labour Party conference on how education policy can tackle disadvantages and inequalities, Bridget Phillipson said the benefits of tutoring risked being “undermined” because of the way it was delivered by the government.
Ms Phillipson made the comments after Tes questioned how the Labour Party intended to address the impact of the Covid pandemic.
She said: “We know that the pandemic has had an impact and will cast a long shadow over the next decade and more because the government failed to deliver a proper plan.”
At the same event, children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza called on Ofsted to carry out a thematic review on attendance and also raised concerns about the impact of the inspectorate’s current focus on curriculum.
The National Tutoring Programme was launched in 2020 as part of the current government’s response to the Covid crisis.
However, it has been beset with controversy, with the firm tasked with its delivery losing its contract and union leaders voicing concerns over schools’ ability to afford tutoring.
Ms Phillipson said: “The other area I would add into the mix, and I think risks being undermined because of the way it was delivered by the government, is tutoring...a disaster in terms of how that...rolled out, but I’m really interested at looking at effective interventions into the future.”
She said she was keen to explore “how we provide more tailored support to children to allow them to catch up that lost learning, but also longer term, how it can be used more effectively. Now we know that there is emerging evidence on that and I’m keen to look at it.”
Ms Phillipson also spoke about the importance of Labour’s plan for breakfast clubs and increased mental health support in tackling the “long shadow” of Covid.
A Department for Education spokesperson said that “we have always said there are lessons to be learned from the pandemic” and added that the government was committed to learning from the Covid inquiry’s findings.
Children’s commissioner focuses on Ofsted
During the conference event, Dame Rachel made a series of suggestions about the role Ofsted should play.
The children’s commissioner said: “I’d love to see Ofsted, rather than going into individual schools and talking to four or five kids to judge a school, doing a proper piece of national work around youth policy about what [pupils] think around the curriculum.”
Dame Rachel also suggested that the inspectorate should carry out a thematic review on school attendance, echoing the words of Sir Martyn Oliver, the next Ofsted chief inspector, who suggested this when he gave evidence to MPs at a pre-appointment hearing.
On the school curriculum, she told attendees: “Talking about curriculum...it’s starting to feel...and partly because of some of the direction that Ofsted has gone in...like a straightjacket rather than a liberation.”
