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In 2020 I analysed 1000s of detailed survey responses about school closures, from parents, carers, children and young people across Wales, Scotland and England.
Some things emerged time and time again, and are probably worth reiterating as many schools switch to remote delivery
Some things emerged time and time again, and are probably worth reiterating as many schools switch to remote delivery
Around a third of families thrived while home learning. Adults and children felt happy, kids remained engaged, parents felt they could cope.
These families tended to be better-off, have all the resources they needed, and - crucially - weren't usually juggling paid work w home ed
These families tended to be better-off, have all the resources they needed, and - crucially - weren't usually juggling paid work w home ed
Another third of families found it tough, but managed to keep on learning. Many low-income families reported that they enjoyed spending more time supporting their kids' learning, but money worries and lack of resources meant they couldn't always do as much as they liked.
Young people in this middle group typically had mixed feelings about being away from school. Many didn't miss the hectic schedules they usually follow, but nearly all desperately missed the social aspect of attending school.
The final third had a truly dreadful experience during school closures. Some children and young people suffered significant impacts to their wellbeing. Parents - mostly mothers - described sustained negative impacts on their mental health from juggling paid work, care and home ed
Families reporting the most severely diminished wellbeing were lone parent households, families where someone was disabled, key workers on low incomes, those who lacked essential learning resources, and those who said they were extremely concerned about money
Things that helped:
1. Paying FSM entitlements directly in cash. Families valued the dignity, flexibility, safety and choice this gave them to meet their children's needs, and freed up cash elsewhere in the household budget so they could buy learning resources
1. Paying FSM entitlements directly in cash. Families valued the dignity, flexibility, safety and choice this gave them to meet their children's needs, and freed up cash elsewhere in the household budget so they could buy learning resources
2. Regular pastoral support/check-ins. It is hard to overstate how much families valued the wellbeing calls from their schools. Children who spoke to their teacher at least once a week were also much more likely to report doing a lot of school work at home.
3. Printing. Around a quarter of families don't have a printer, and this rises to nearly a third among low income households. Families really appreciated schools that distributed printed resources. Many schools also helped by suppling stationery, craft packs and reading books too
4. Safety measures. Most of the children we spoke to, and their adults, wanted to see stringent safety measures in their schools. It reassured them it was safe to attend. Children in low-income families were much more likely to have someone who was shielding in their household.
The most common missing resources in low-income homes are printers, a personal digital device to work on, a suitable workspace like a table or desk, and a parent/carer to supervise and support learning. Only some of these things can be distributed by schools for use in the home.
We will still need childcare hubs to support keyworkers while schools shut to the majority of learners. It may be worth expanding the definition of 'vulnerable learners' to enable more children who suffered negative impacts in the initial closures to also attend these settings.
