Date: 25/03/21
By Alan Hardie, CEO at NCEAT.

We’ve heard a great deal in the past few months about the need for all pupils to ‘catch-up’ with their learning. This is something that needs a great deal more thought than some people think.

Firstly, thanks to the amazing efforts of pupils and their families, and the high quality of remote learning, there are some pupils who have done exceptionally well and are more or less where they should be. Some pupils have also made huge progress in their use and application of ICT, which would not have happened without remote learning.

As the lockdown was national, all pupils across the country have had to get used to a different way of learning. Remote learning is never going to replace face-to-face teaching in classrooms, but the notion that entire year groups of pupils have ‘lost’ entire months of learning is nonsense and it is a negative narrative that helps no one. Some pupils have struggled more than others and this is where the knowledge of the pupils from school staff and their skills in supporting them will be vital over the next year or two.

Schools are all too often judged only on exam and test results. I don’t think that anyone would argue that results aren’t important, but if that is the sole focus of a school, then I think that is letting down pupils, families and communities. Much of what we learn in school isn’t just about the ability to recall information and apply it in tests. Just as important are the social skills and learning to get along with others, and it is this that pupils need to catch up with just as much as the academic side of things.

It has been wonderful to have our schools full again over the last three weeks. It would be very tempting to set a large amount of homework over Easter to keep up the momentum from the return on 8th March. However, my message to our pupils is that over the Easter break, they should focus on their wellbeing rather than worry about how quickly they are catching up with their academic work.

Easter is always a time when many of us think about the hope that is offered to us in its message. This year, it will also fall just after another partial relaxation of the lockdown rules. This will mean that we can meet another family, or 5 people in the rule of six, outdoors and it also means the restart of outdoor sports. As this also coincides with increasing daylight and (hopefully!) warmer weather, it is a great chance to get outdoors, meet with people we’ve missed and get back to doing some of the things we enjoy.

I think that this is the type of catch up we should be prioritising. Schools across the country have found that the second national lockdown has had more of an impact on pupil wellbeing than the first one did. Much of this is probably linked to the fatigue of enduring a full year of restrictions, but also because the colder weather and longer nights has meant fewer chances to spend time outside. So, within the rules, I think that spending time outdoors, playing sports and meeting family and friends should be what we focus on during the holiday.

I wish all of our pupils, parents, carers and staff a very Happy Easter!