Helping children facing disadvantage to thrive

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 launched Lumina Tutoring, an initiative that aims to provide online, subjectspecific one-to-one tutorial sessions for children and young people 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. 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.

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

“I got my confidence back in school! Before I was really anxious, and today I’m talking a lot and I’m less jumpy. ”

A Year 6 pupil who took part in the Attain programme

partner primary schools engage in lessons in maths and literacy, supplemented by interactive science workshops and co-curricular sessions covering drama, art and sport. Lessons are delivered by staff at Emanuel, with the help of a team of Emanuel and Westminster City School sixth form and Year 10 volunteers. The partnership is mutually beneficial; the younger children have the opportunity to catch up on vital learning they have missed, while the student volunteers develop their confidence, leadership, and organisational skills.

Latymer Upper School launched its Attain programme in January 2021 to help Year 5 and 6 pupils in local primary schools who were identified by their teachers as having fallen furthest behind due to the pandemic disrupting their education. Each child who took part in the catch-up programme received up to 15 hours of support in maths and English from a dedicated tutor, with teachers coming not only from Latymer Upper and Latymer Prep School, but also from St Paul’s Girls’School and St Paul’s School. The programme ’ s success has seen it expand to include catch-up support for Year 10 students who are either in receipt of pupil premium or who meet an equivalent indicator of low financial means.

The Epsom College Service Programme involves sixth form volunteers from the College working with younger pupils to support their learning and development. It is a scheme designed to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds at various primary schools in the local area – Banstead Community Junior School, Woodmansterne Primary, The Vale, and Wallace Fields Infants School – reach a higher level of attainment. During the autumn term, students from Epsom College undertook three weeks of training, and were matched with pupils depending on their identified strengths. They assisted both individuals and groups of pupils with language development; worked on numeracy by playing board games; supported reading, science and craft activities; and developed the children ’ s social skills through play. The outreach programme has enabled the College to support the schools in closing the attainment gap for pupils facing disadvantage.

"By spending time every week with individual children, the Epsom College students have helped to develop their language, social and emotional skills, and enhance their emotional wellbeing. " Nicky Mann, co-headteacher at Wallace Fields Infants School