The DfE has allocated £650 million to be spent on ensuring all students have the chance to catch up and support schools to enable them to do so. CCHSG has been allocated £63,920 for the academic year 2020-2021. Whilst schools will decide how the money is spent, The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published guidance on effective interventions to support schools.
The DfE has also set out the following Curriculum Expectations, to ensure that all students, particularly disadvantaged, SEND and Vulnerable students, are given the catch-up support needed to make substantial progress by the end of the academic year.
Education is not optional
All students are to receive a high-quality education that promotes their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
The curriculum remains broad and ambitious
All students continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, maintain their choices for further study and employment.
Remote Education
DfE asks that schools meet the following expectations:
- Teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects from the start of the autumn term, but make use of existing flexibilities to create time to cover the most important missed content…In particular, schools may consider how all subjects can contribute to the filling of gaps in core knowledge, for example through an emphasis on reading.
- Aim to return to the school’s normal curriculum in all subjects by summer term 2021.
- Plan on the basis of the educational needs of students. Curriculum planning should be informed by an assessment of students’ starting points and addressing the gaps in their knowledge and skills
- Develop remote education so it is integrated into school curriculum planning
CCHSG approach to Reconnection (Catch-up)
At CCHSG we intend to allocate our additional funding to support curriculum recovery and student attainment. The EEF guidance suggests a 3 tiered approach:
- Teaching
- Quality first teaching for all
- Effective diagnostic assessment of students start points
- Supporting remote learning
- Focusing on the professional development of staff to support remote learning and catch-up in the classroom.
- Targeted academic support
- Quality 1:1 and small group tuition
- Targeted support
- Academic tutoring
- Planning for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and students who are disadvantaged
- Wider strategies
- Supporting students’ social, emotional and behavioural needs
- Communicating with and supporting parents and carers
- Wellbeing support and guidance
Methods of assessing the impact:
- Low stakes assessments
- Formal in class assessments and mock examinations
- Progress checks and reports
- Work scrutiny (both book and virtual)
- Student academic questionnaires
- Student wellbeing questionnaires
- GL PASS assessment for Selected Year groups
- Success in Public Examinations for Year 11 and Year 10