Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Disadvantaged Students: Tutoring Support

Monday 21 June 2021 · 8 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Caroline Ansell raised concerns that tutoring might come with an opportunity cost, potentially affecting pupils' experience of a broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Jason McCartney inquired about support for areas with higher COVID case rates, noting the impact on pupil wellbeing and mental health due to increased self-isolation and missed classroom teaching.
  • Henry Smith questioned the support available for disadvantaged pupils with disabilities, who are more affected by the pandemic's educational disruptions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Caroline Ansell Con
Education
Context

Local school leaders have raised concerns that the new tutoring programme might come at an opportunity cost, potentially affecting a broad and balanced curriculum, especially creative arts and sports.

Question

Early feedback from my local school leaders suggests that tutoring is going to make a real difference, but there is some small concern that it can come with an opportunity cost in the school day, potentially affecting pupils' experience of a broad and balanced curriculum, especially the creative arts and sports. Is that therefore an important consideration in the debate about having a longer school day, especially if tutoring could prove to be the longer-term strategy that we need to address the pre-pandemic attainment gap?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

My hon. Friend raises an important issue. As we bring forward the largest investment in tutoring that this country has ever seen, we want to look at how we can continue to make changes and improvements to the whole of the school day. That way, we can not only embed the tutoring revolution that we are driving forward but ensure that the other areas of enrichment that are so important for a child's development are properly incorporated into any changes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics on longer school days and opportunity costs

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Q2 Jason McCartney Con
Education Mental Health
Context

Kirklees has higher covid case rates, leading to more self-isolation and missed classroom teaching, affecting wellbeing and mental health.

Question

My area of Kirklees continues to have higher covid case rates than the national average, which means that more pupils and students are having to self-isolate and miss classroom teaching, which has an increased impact on wellbeing and mental health. Will the Secretary of State please tell me what extra catch-up funding and support is available for schools and colleges in areas such as mine, where there are above average rates of absence?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

As my hon. Friend will be aware, there is a £650 million universal catch-up premium, as well as the recovery premium. That funding is very much to ensure that schools such as those in his constituency are best able to target that money at the areas that will have the most impact on children.

Answered
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Q3 Henry Smith Con
Children & Families
Context

Concerns raised about the additional needs of disadvantaged pupils who have a disability.

Question

I welcome the Secretary of State's comments. What particular support will be made available to disadvantaged pupils who have a disability and are therefore more affected still?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

My hon. Friend raises a vital point. That is why we took the decision to ensure a higher rate of funding for special schools and for schools that provide alternative provision, recognising that they will want more specialist and one-to-one tutoring for those children.

Answered
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Q4 Mark Logan
Education
Context

Request for a meeting to discuss Tutor the Nation's impact in Bolton and lessons for other areas.

Question

Will the Secretary of State agree to meet me to discuss Tutor the Nation, which is now being rolled out right across Bolton, and the lessons that it might provide for the rest of the country?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

I would very much like to hear not only how Tutor the Nation is tutoring Bolton, but how we can do so much more to tutor all the other parts of the nation as well, so I would be more than delighted to meet my hon. Friend. I will ask my office to get in touch with him so that we can meet to discuss the work that Tutor the Nation is doing in his constituency.

Answered
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Q5 James Sunderland
Children & Families
Context

Concerns about the progress of the special educational needs and disability review and additional funding for focused interventions.

Question

Will the Secretary of State please update the House on progress with the special educational needs and disability review and also confirm that we will be investing more in focused intervention for those who need extra support?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

I know that this issue is close to my hon. Friend's heart. Yes, we have been making progress on the special educational needs review. Sadly, as a result of a pandemic, the speed at which we had hoped to bring it back to the House has been slowed, but we will be providing an update in the near future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Details of additional investment for focused interventions

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Q6 Kate Green Lab
Education
Context

Concerns about the proportion of children receiving tutoring under the national tutoring programme by the end of this academic year.

Question

Will the Secretary of State tell the House what proportion of children will have received tutoring under the national tutoring programme by the end of this academic year?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

We had set out the aim of having a quarter of a million children going through the national tutoring programme, but, as a result of the take-up of the programme and the success that individual and small group tutoring has had, we have set out an ambition and an aim to massively expand that programme over the coming years.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific percentage for end of academic year

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Q7 Kate Green Lab
Education
Context

Concerns about the current and future funding for the national tutoring programme, despite the Prime Minister's commitment.

Question

The latest figures show that it is just under 3% of pupils in this academic year, and even the funding for next year will reach only 8% of students, yet last week in Prime Minister's questions, the Prime Minister said that the Government want to get on the side of all kids who do not have access to tuition and support them. Why did the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister fail to persuade the Chancellor of the Exchequer to invest in what Sir Kevan Collins said is needed to secure children's futures, or does he in fact agree with the Chancellor who has said that the Government have “maxed out” on support?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

The Prime Minister and I have outlined a clear plan to roll out tutoring to 6 million children up and down the country. We recognise the importance of small group tutoring and how it can benefit every child. That is why we have set out our ambition, and that is what we will deliver.

Not addressed: Specific funding commitments despite Prime Minister's statements

How: Changed Subject

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Q8 Robert Halfon Con
Education Children & Families
Context

Persistent absence before the pandemic was alarmingly high at 13.1%, and despite pupils returning, the rate has remained stubbornly high at 13% with around 916,000 pupils affected. For secondary pupils, it increased from 15% to 16.3%.

Question

Even before the pandemic, persistent absence—pupils missing 10% or more of their education—was alarmingly high at 13.1%. As pupils have returned, the overall rate has remained stubbornly high at 13%, with around 916,000 pupils affected. For secondary pupils, it has actually risen from 15% to 16.3%. What are the Department's plans to bring persistent absence down?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

This is an incredibly important area. At the very start of the pandemic, we set up the regional education and children's teams—REACT—which were a cooperation between schools, local government, the Department for Education and the police to target youngsters who struggle the most and are likely not in school. We continue to expand this work through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to help families struggling the most, recognising that it is children in this category who are most vulnerable and possibly most likely to have persistent absence from schools. We will continue to work across government, recognising that it involves local authorities, the police, health and social care coming together to bring children back into the classroom.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans or commitments on how to reduce persistent absence were not provided

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