Kirsty Tennyson is Executive Principal of the Three Saints Academy Trust and one of her schools is St Mary and St Thomas C of E in St Helens. More than 60% of the children are on free school meals and nearly half have a special need.
"In a deprived area there is already a gap that we're striving to close - to narrow and ultimately to close [the gap]," she says."Children who have not got that support at home and have not been able to access that learning - that gap will have grown hugely." Ms Tennyson says her schools have detailed plans for the start of term to help the children catch up, but she admits there is a"mountain to climb".
"This is going to take into this academic year and the one after to really get those children back to where they need to be and for some children it will take longer."Phoebe is 11 years old and starts secondary school next month. She was using the home learning packs her school, St Mary and St Thomas, provided until she want back to school in June.Her dad, George, is a single parent and says he has worked hard - with assistance from the school - to help Phoebe with her school work.
"I failed in maths," he says."The school helped me get my English qualification. If I don't know [the work], I can't help my child." He added:"Phoebe's school has always helped because they're always on the end of the phone."and young people aged 5-19 years who are most in need of help.
Load of rubbish
Lockdown, Brexit, exam grading fiasco, and stream of misinformation widens distrust of Conservative government
BBCPolitics The 'tories' / lockdown........what's the difference? they both widened learning gaps between richer and poorer only the 'tories' do it deliberately.
A 6 year old could have told you that Oh they did
I hope the teachers are pleased with themselves.
Just concentrate on the three Rs and make children employable again, the way it used to be. Lessons in humility wouldn't go amiss either!
So get all the schools open, fully staffed and all pupils back. Perhaps start earlier end later to make up lost time. Just a thought.
Tory Party don't do poverty. Before, during or after Covid. If you really think Boris and chums give a jot about ordinary working folk then you are deluded.
for those who don’t get it, it’s harder for us to catch up. our schools can’t help us, they’re underfunded. our parents can’t afford tutors to help us. we can try but we can’t do everything without the resources to do so. fund our schools, provide better resources & opportunities
Those crying for lockdown sooner. Wanting schools closed... Teachers not wanting to go back sooner..... Kids getting results without sitting an exam... It's a funny old world 🌍
BBCPolitics Well people are 'rich' (some vague term they use) probably because they have a better work ethic. One of the benefits of not playing victim or blaming 'the government' (another vague term they use) is that you can be honest about where you went wrong, and do something about it.
BBCPolitics It's fine, I'm sure Labour Councils and unions (that don't represent the majority of teachers by the way) considered all this when telling schools not to take kids back. Based on no science and just a desire to cause the government problems.
It’s not going to get any easier
And the government didn’t need an algorithm to do that, just a lockdown.
That's because poor kids were on the streets while the rich were doing online lessons.
And 100 years of medical equity lost as well
If the gap has grown between poor and rich children in education due to the lockdown, who’s fault is it? Perhaps the government, but definitely their parents.
Not just in England,even right here in Africa.Its worse!
Pandemic to Class War.
Where’s the statistics and proof just because some people are not wealthy it doesn’t mean the kids are not clever. In fact they try harder in some cases
Why is that a surprise? It's nothing new. Middle class parents set more store by education and support them better. Life is a competition. Individuals need to learn their strengths.
The poorer kids won't amount to anything anyway. The females will become baby factories & the males will become recidivists
IF POOR CHILDREN WORK HARD YOU GET QUALIFICATIONS, GOOD JOBS IF NOT YOU DON;T CLIMB THE 'LADDER' AND YOU DON'T DESERVE TO
The A level awarding algorithm widened it even more. The damage is done. University places already filled with those who got higher grades simply because they were privately educated. The Tories have already got what they wanted.
If you can’t look after your children properly, maybe don’t have children
Keep Hygienic-Fresh-Healthy. Fathonie Abdullah (Fathonie AG / Thonie AG) Thonie_AG_World World_Music_TAG News_Thonie_AG Thonie_AG_News AG_Thonie
Education is still more than just a set of arbitrary targets set by civil servants, especially at such a young age
good video