An opportunity for meaningful change

Throughout lockdown many schools have remained open for vulnerable children and children of key workers, a significant achievement for schools and not always given the national recognition they deserve. Local authorities, schools and teaching staff have worked incredibly hard to risk assess and put measures in place so that more children can have the opportunity for face to face learning and interaction before the end of term.

For most children though, they have had to adapt to the home learning environment, and their experiences of this will be different because each will have unique circumstances. To supplement learning at home, schools have swiftly embraced new ways of teaching by delivering lessons online for example, and countless learning resources have been made available by a range of organisations, yet legitimate fears remain about the widening attainment gap. Recent research has shown pupil engagement in schools is lower in areas of higher deprivation as children without access to IT equipment, sufficient internet access or a quiet space to study at home are impacted the worst. It is clear that the current crisis is exacerbating the challenges that many children and families faced long-before the pandemic began.