Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the difficulties facing parents who are working from home and supporting school-age children with remote learning.

Attendance has been mandatory for all pupils of compulsory school age since 8 March 2021. There will be specific instances where an individual, small group, or class of pupils or students cannot attend school on-site because they are, for example, self-isolating or shielding in line with guidance or law relating to COVID-19.

Where it is needed, schools are expected to provide as a minimum 3-5 hours of remote education depending on Key Stage. This includes either recorded or live direct teaching alongside time for pupils to work independently to complete assignments that have been set.

We recognise that different expectations are appropriate for younger and older age groups when teaching remotely. We also expect schools to consider the remote education expectations in relation to pupils’ age, stage of development or special educational needs.

We know this is a challenging time for parents, carers and children. This is why we have published guidance for parents and carers on remote education and how they can best support their child while educating from home: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19. This includes resources and advice to help parents and carers on how to establish a routine with their child, and how best to support mental health and wellbeing during this period.

Parents and carers should not feel that they need to set work for their child. If parents or carers feel they need further support or additional teaching materials for their children, they are encouraged to discuss this with their school or college first.

In our guidance for parents and carers, we have provided links to some educational resources which parents may also find it helpful to be aware of, such as Oak National Academy, BBC Bitesize, LendED, and specialist resources for supporting children with special educational needs and disability with their remote education: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.