We’re shut in
Don’t let the poorest children get shut out
The problem
Picture this - you’ve had six months away from the office. You tried to get your work done at home but you had no laptop, no internet access and no quiet space. You get back to the office and realise your teammates had what they needed to stay on track. They’re ready. You’re not.
That’s the reality that millions of poorer young people are facing. They’re back in school sat alongside classmates who had what they needed to keep learning in lockdown. For many, exams are just around the corner.
Before COVID-19 you only had half the chance of getting good grades at school if you are growing up in a poor community. The odds just got much tougher.
This isn’t just about fairness, it’s also bad for the economy. Three years after the last global crash, more than one in five young people were left unemployed. For this generation, getting a good job will be hard. And without good grades – it’ll be nearly impossible.
Here's what we're doing about it
Great schools are the solution. That’s why we develop teachers, school leaders and networks to support them. Because when schools thrive, their pupils do too.
Catch-up support
Our community supported schools to deliver Summer Schools – giving children the chance to get back to school over the holidays. New for this year we’re finding and training Academic Mentors who’ll be working with disadvantaged children to help them catch up on learning they’ve lost.
We’re listening to schools about what they need to get on track and as the year goes on, we’ll continue to work on finding ways that we can help schools recover the learning their children lost.
Helping schools rebound
From new trainees through to the leadership team – our programmes work to make sure each part of the school’s system is working at its best.
Supporting schools is more crucial than ever as teachers and school leaders face the biggest challenges they’ve ever experienced.
Pushing for action from business and government
We called on government to support pupils to get on track ahead of their commitment to £1billion catch-up funding. A huge help for many schools. But it only lasts a year and the consequences for young people will last much longer.
We want to see long-term funding increases for schools in disadvantaged areas. And we’re working hard to use our voice to make that happen.
We’ve gone digital
Teachers and schools will be at the heart of our country's efforts to recover. That’s why we’re more determined than ever to back them.
We’ve rapidly updated all our programmes so we can continue to train and support teachers during this crisis.
Get involved
Fund the future
The gaps between poor and wealthier pupils are widening drastically due to COVID-19. We urgently need to raise an extra £5 million to fund new programmes. Can you help?
Join the discussion
Our monthly online panel series Future Terms brings together experts from across education to talk about the what’s to come in education. Register to attend.
Teach on
We’ve compiled a bank of resources to help teachers who are still teaching from home. Take a look at our COVID-19 schools resource hub.
