Helping children facing disadvantage to thrive Twice a year, Berkhamsted School partners with Hertfordshire Virtual School to provide academic and pastoral support for looked after children in years 10, 11 and 12. The initiative was born during the pandemic, when the school offered to host looked after children during the holidays to help close the attainment gap and provide positive experiences for those involved. The programme has since been extended to offer careers advice and academic support focusing on English, maths and the sciences. The initiative also aims to help looked after children build their confidence and communication skills, while promoting their overall wellbeing.
Through various virtual and in-person initiatives, schools have committed to supporting the education recovery effort – particularly for the benefit of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. During the first national lockdown, Harrow School “I got my confidence back in launched Lumina Tutoring, school! Before I was really an initiative that aims to anxious, and today I’m talking provide online, subjecta lot and I’m less jumpy.” specific one-to-one A Year 6 pupil who took tutorial sessions for part in the Attain children and young people programme who are looked after. With the help of 50 teachers from four different schools, young people facing significant educational disadvantage can engage with enriching lessons across all subjects on a weekly basis, predominantly during term time. In the next academic year, Harrow is looking to expand this programme, working in partnership with several virtual schools in London to provide academic support to an increasing number of looked after children.
Emanuel School, situated in an inner-city London borough with high levels of deprivation, has created a programme designed to help close the attainment gap for pupils whose education has been most impacted by school closures during the pandemic. The Ascent programme, developed in collaboration with staff at partner schools, focuses on supporting Year 5 pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds who are failing to meet national standards in literacy and maths. Each Saturday morning during the summer term, 28 children from local
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