Coronavirus daily round-up: Monday 16 November
Fiona Simpson
Monday, November 16, 2020
Young people’s return to school following the first Covid-19 lockdown has seen an improvement in mental health, new research shows.
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Each day, CYP Now will summarise the key issues affecting the children and families sector as it tackles the effects of the pandemic. The daily update signposts children’s services practitioners and leaders to the latest developments, expert views, advice and resources.
School return ‘improves mental health’
Mental health difficulties in children increased during the first national lockdown but have decreased since, new research from Oxford University found.
Over the course of the first national lockdown, behavioural and restless/attentional difficulties increased, while most children were not attending school, researchers say.
However, behavioural, emotional, and restless and attentional difficulties have generally decreased from July throughout the summer holidays, and as children returned to school in September, a survey of parents showed.
Final National Tutoring Programme partnership launched
A charity that helps disadvantaged children to access top universities has been announced as the final organisation chosen to provide tutoring to school pupils as part of the National Tutoring Programme.
The Access Project, which was established in 2008 and currently works in 31 schools, will be available to provide tutoring to more schools in the areas it works in as part of the £76m initiative to support children worst affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Joining 32 other organisations already announced as tuition partners earlier this month, it will focus its tutoring on schools in London, Birmingham & the Black Country, the East Midlands and Bradford.
Schools ditch nativities due to Covid-19
Around half of schools will not hold nativity plays this year due to pandemic pressures with those that do will be held virtually, new research shows.
Less than five per cent of schools polled might yet hold live, socially distanced activities, according to responses to a survey by the Teacher Tapp app.
Some schools said they will film their productions outdoors, with footage then shared with parents while others will be filmed and edited into the form of an advent calendar.
