Coronavirus: Catch-up tutoring fund for school children

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced one billion pounds to help children in England catch up with school work they've missed during lockdown.

Two million disadvantaged children, who've been worse affected after missing lessons will receive access to tutors who will teach them over the next year.

The tutoring will cost the government up to £350m, and another £650m will be shared among English primary and secondary schools to tackle the consequences of coronavirus for all children.

Money will be given to head teachers, who can choose what they want to spend the money on, however they are required to pay 25% towards catch-up tutoring for children who need it most.

Announcing the help the prime minister said: "I want to once again thank teachers, childcare workers and support staff for the brilliant work they have been doing throughout the pandemic.

"This £1bn catch-up package will help head teachers to provide extra support to children who have fallen behind while out of school.

"I am determined to do everything I can to get all children back in school from September, and we will bring forward plans on how this will happen as soon as possible."

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the measures would "protect a generation from the effects of this pandemic".

He added: "We cannot afford for any of our children to lose out as a result of Covid-19. The scale of our response must match the scale of the challenge."

While many head teachers welcomed the extra money, some said more details were needed.

Labour's shadow education secretary Rebecca Long Bailey said the plans "lack detail and appear to be a tiny fraction of the support" needed and called for a "detailed national education plan to get children's education and health back on track".

Labour said there should be a taskforce - involving trade unions and scientific and health experts - to help all pupils return to school safely as soon as possible.

Children socially distance in a classroom and listen to a teacher via video link.

Schools were shut across the UK on 20 March, apart for the children of key workers, but most children have not been to school since then.

Children in nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 6 have begun returning to primary schools in England, but plans to allow all school children to return to classes before September have been dropped.

Meanwhile secondary schools are unclear as to whether they can fully open even in September, as they have been told to enforce two-metre social distancing.

Schools in Wales are reopening at the end of June, with only a third of pupils in class at any time, while in Scotland, schools are preparing to reopen on 11 August.

Social distancing in schools has been reduced to one-metre in Northern Ireland, where plans are in place for a full reopening of schools on 24 August.