Sir Kevan Collins has been appointed as the government’s education recovery commissioner, overseeing the country’s catch-up programme. And it’s no small task, trying to address the learning loss caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But what might this mammoth project look like in practice? Sir Kevan comes to the role after working as chief executive at the Education Endowment Foundation, which released a Covid-19 support guide for schools last summer. So could this hint at some of his priorities for schools’ recovery?

Coronavirus and schools: What will be the key features of the catch-up programme?

Here are five of the key areas it highlights:

Teacher development 

The EEF has long argued that “quality of teaching is the single most important driver of pupil attainment and a range of other positive outcomes”, so it seems possible that CPD could be a part of the catch-up effort. 

Last summer’s guide also suggests that this is likely to be a big consideration. It says: “Providing opportunities for professional development - for example, to support curriculum planning or focused training on the effective use of technology - is likely to be valuable.”

It also points out that “almost all schools will also have made significant adjustments to organisational and logistical aspects of school life”, and so ensuring that teachers have “training and support to adjust to these changes is likely to improve the quality of teaching as all pupils return to school”.

Assessment and feedback

The EEF’s hugely influential Teaching and Learning Toolkit finds feedback to be the highest-impact approach in improving learning outcomes, so a focus on getting this right would make sense as part of efforts going forward. 

Likewise, the Covid guide places an emphasis on the power of assessment, with the advice that “setting aside time to enable teachers to assess pupils’ wellbeing and learning needs is likely to make it easier for teachers and other school staff to provide effective support”. 

It recommends that subject-specific assessments could be used “to identify particular areas where pupils have forgotten or misunderstood key concepts”, and says that standardised assessments in literacy and/or numeracy could be used to identify which pupils would benefit from additional support.

Tuition and intervention 

The EEF was one of the parties involved in designing the National Tutoring Programme, and funding for this is already in place for the remainder of the school year. Could this be extended under Sir Kevan’s watch? 

The support guide highlights that structured interventions are likely to be necessary, particularly around literacy and numeracy.  It says: “Programmes are likely to have the greatest impact where they meet a specific need, such as oral language skills or aspects of reading; include regular sessions maintained over a sustained period; and are carefully timetabled to enable consistent delivery.” 

After-hours and holiday sessions

Could the school day look different in the catch-up era? Last summer’s guide tentatively suggests that schools could consider “extending the length of the school day; for example, to provide additional academic or pastoral support to particular pupils after school” but notes that this would need to be supported by staff and parents to be successful. 

It also raises the prospect of summer programmes, noting how these can “benefit pupils socially and academically, helping to ensure that they return to school ready to learn”.

But it highlights the issues of ensuring high attendance levels, particularly from children from disadvantaged families, and the likely challenge of ensuring the right staffing is secured, particularly in light of the “extensive demands placed on teachers and schools in recent months and the challenges created by public health requirements”.

Support for parents and carers 

Could creating better links with families form part of the catch-up plan? The EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit says that parental engagement can have a moderate impact on outcomes for young people, while the support guidance notes the importance of providing resources to families and “regular and supportive communications with parents, especially to increase attendance and engagement with learning”.