Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Despite schools working tirelessly to provide remote education, we know that children’s learning has been disrupted as a result of multiple lockdowns. So this is a welcome provision of funding and resources.

“It’s important to recognise that recovery won’t be a quick or easy job. Fortunately, there already exists a wealth of knowledge within the profession about how to narrow achievement gaps. We need to trust schools to put in place a long-term approach based on what they know about the needs of their pupils. We are pleased that the government has recognised this expertise and is not prescribing exactly how this funding is used. This is a significant first step to help schools tackle the challenge at hand.

“Summer schools will be of value for some pupils but it will be important not to overwhelm students. Recovery cannot happen in a single summer.”

Press and Media contacts:

Steven George
NAHT Head of Press and Media
01444 472886
07970 907730

Rose Tremlett 
Senior Press Officer 
07545 354363

Email : press.office@naht.org.uk