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| Pre-exam years back to meet teachers in secondary school | Pre-exam years back to meet teachers in secondary school |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Some secondary pupils in England facing exams next year are starting to go back into school from Monday - meeting their teachers for the first time since the lockdown began in March. | Some secondary pupils in England facing exams next year are starting to go back into school from Monday - meeting their teachers for the first time since the lockdown began in March. |
| Only 25% of the chosen year groups, 10 and 12, can be on site at a time. | Only 25% of the chosen year groups, 10 and 12, can be on site at a time. |
| There will be wide variations in the number of hours individual pupils get to spend with teachers. | There will be wide variations in the number of hours individual pupils get to spend with teachers. |
| There are also cross-party demands for disadvantaged children to get internet access and devices at home. | There are also cross-party demands for disadvantaged children to get internet access and devices at home. |
| The return of the two secondary school year groups, taking their GCSEs and A-levels next summer, will be a mixed picture. | |
| Many of these pupils, who have been studying online at home, will be returning for a limited number of hours each week, or for catch-up meetings with teachers. | |
| Important to get back, say pupils | |
| Macy, a Year 10 pupil in Hartlepool, said that school would be very different from usual - but wanted to catch up as she was worrying she had "dropped behind". | |
| "We won't be in school for as long - and we'll be in bubbles, which is a group of six people. And there are measures put in place - like a one-way system, so it prevents people crossing in corridors," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | |
| But she was keen to get back after being "stuck in the house and and not seeing friends face-to-face". | |
| "You lose your focus and your motivation to do anything," she said. "It's important to get back as soon as we can." | |
| Gulliver in Tameside, Greater Manchester, said his school would not open until next week - and said there was a lack of information about what would happen next. | |
| Another Year 10 pupil in Hartlepool, Isaac, said schools had been in touch about how they would operate - and he said it was "really important" that young people could go back. | |
| He said they would benefit from having "routines in place - and we feel like we're finally getting back to normal and feel like we're making progress". | |
| Pupils have been studying at home, but they reported different levels of online teaching being made available. | |
| Digital deprivation | |
| A proposal signed by four former education secretaries, a former head of Ofsted and the Chairman of the Education Select Committee, Robert Halfon, as well as former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is calling for online access to disadvantaged families. | |
| Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh will present a Bill on the issue in Parliament on Monday. | Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh will present a Bill on the issue in Parliament on Monday. |
| She said: "This policy isn't a silver bullet and can't replace months of missed education. But it would make an immediate, tangible difference to families right across our country." | She said: "This policy isn't a silver bullet and can't replace months of missed education. But it would make an immediate, tangible difference to families right across our country." |
| It is estimated that at least 700,000 disadvantaged children lack access to computers or internet, which are crucial for them to continue their education remotely. | It is estimated that at least 700,000 disadvantaged children lack access to computers or internet, which are crucial for them to continue their education remotely. |
| Ministers have already set up a scheme to provide 330,000 free laptops to England's poorest children, those on the pupil premium, but thus far only 100,000 devices have been distributed to local authorities and academy trusts. | Ministers have already set up a scheme to provide 330,000 free laptops to England's poorest children, those on the pupil premium, but thus far only 100,000 devices have been distributed to local authorities and academy trusts. |
| A government spokesman said: "The government has already committed £100m to support children to learn at home and pupil premium funding at the highest ever rate continues to be paid to help schools support their disadvantaged pupils." | A government spokesman said: "The government has already committed £100m to support children to learn at home and pupil premium funding at the highest ever rate continues to be paid to help schools support their disadvantaged pupils." |
| Catch-up plans | |
| Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is also due to set out the details of his summer catch-up plans in the coming days. | Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is also due to set out the details of his summer catch-up plans in the coming days. |
| It comes after he scrapped the requirement for primary schools to bring all pupils back for a month before the summer break. | It comes after he scrapped the requirement for primary schools to bring all pupils back for a month before the summer break. |
| This U-turn came less than a fortnight after primaries in some areas began taking pupils from Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. | This U-turn came less than a fortnight after primaries in some areas began taking pupils from Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. |
| It prompted accusations the situation had been mishandled by the prime minister. | It prompted accusations the situation had been mishandled by the prime minister. |
| Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said secondary schools were working hard to bring students in safely this week. | Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said secondary schools were working hard to bring students in safely this week. |
| They are balancing the needs of their pupils and the availability of staff and space, which is limited due to safe distancing rules, he added. | They are balancing the needs of their pupils and the availability of staff and space, which is limited due to safe distancing rules, he added. |
| A head teachers' survey last week suggested nearly all schools would be inviting pupils in the chosen year groups back for support and reviews. | A head teachers' survey last week suggested nearly all schools would be inviting pupils in the chosen year groups back for support and reviews. |
| He also called for a detailed and coherent plan, properly rooted in independent advice, to be agreed as soon as possible. | He also called for a detailed and coherent plan, properly rooted in independent advice, to be agreed as soon as possible. |
| Liberal Democrat education spokesman Layla Moran has written to the PM and education secretary, calling for a recruitment campaign. | Liberal Democrat education spokesman Layla Moran has written to the PM and education secretary, calling for a recruitment campaign. |
| She is also calling for local safe space registers to be drawn up to allow schools to use buildings and community spaces that are vacant nearby. | She is also calling for local safe space registers to be drawn up to allow schools to use buildings and community spaces that are vacant nearby. |
| And local councils are urging ministers to work with them to find local solutions. | And local councils are urging ministers to work with them to find local solutions. |
| Theatres as schools? | Theatres as schools? |
| Councillor Judith Blake, chairman of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, said councils were looking at innovative opportunities to use cultural spaces, like theatres, and natural settings, for much-needed teaching space. | Councillor Judith Blake, chairman of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, said councils were looking at innovative opportunities to use cultural spaces, like theatres, and natural settings, for much-needed teaching space. |
| "At the same time, it could provide cultural organisations and councils with ways of remaining financially sustainable and relevant to their local communities," she said. | "At the same time, it could provide cultural organisations and councils with ways of remaining financially sustainable and relevant to their local communities," she said. |
| Local authorities needed guarantees they would have the funds to cover the cost of staffing and renting extra spaces, she added. | Local authorities needed guarantees they would have the funds to cover the cost of staffing and renting extra spaces, she added. |
| Geoff Barton, general secretary of secondary heads' union, ASCL said: "The idea of opening up extra space so that more children could be brought back into school while remaining in small groups is a good one, which deserves further thought. | Geoff Barton, general secretary of secondary heads' union, ASCL said: "The idea of opening up extra space so that more children could be brought back into school while remaining in small groups is a good one, which deserves further thought. |
| "Community centres, village halls and other facilities, could be utilised." | "Community centres, village halls and other facilities, could be utilised." |
| But he said this was "only half the equation" as additional teachers would be needed to teach the extra classes. | But he said this was "only half the equation" as additional teachers would be needed to teach the extra classes. |
| Mr Whiteman, however, said the idea was unlikely to be workable. | Mr Whiteman, however, said the idea was unlikely to be workable. |
| "Based on government guidelines, we would need roughly double the number of classrooms available. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of spaces," he said. | "Based on government guidelines, we would need roughly double the number of classrooms available. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of spaces," he said. |