15 May 2020 Report outlines areas for improvement in alternative provision

A report published by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has called for improvements in alternative provision in order to ensure consistent quality across the country

Whilst the report cites many areas of excellent practice, it outlines the variation in provision across regions, including the money spent on pupils, the data collected on them and the quality of education provided

It calls for

- a set of benchmarks to demonstrate what quality looks like and a national funding formula for alternative provision to support it

- a system improvement fund to share good practice throughout the country

- highly specialised teachers working with this cohort of children

5 May 2020 Northern Powerhouse Partnership calls for 'Catch-up' premium

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has called for a catch-up premium for disadvantaged pupils when schools reopen

The funding, which they say should be at least £700 for each secondary school pupil, would pay for tuition for those that have fallen behind during the COVID-19 crisis

The Partnership feels that without it, the attainment gap, which affects Northern children more than most, will get bigger

The funding would secure interventions for around 30 minutes of tuition, three to five times a week over a six to twelve week period