In response to lockdowns and wider learning disparities
The recent updates show that in the UK due to the pandemic and many lockdowns caused many schools to close due to the pandemic.
Consequently, children missed out on their education. When schools reopened after long lockdowns, Boris Johnson announced that £1 billion investment into catching up sessions for all pupils who had lost out on learning.
This is an effort to help disadvantaged pupils make up for what they have missed as well as give support to those who may not have been able to attend school due to illness, no access to digital resources and internet connection or other circumstances outside of their control.
The catch-up sessions will include the national tutoring programme, which is set to receive £650 million and other programmes that are designed for schools in need of extra help. The Department For Education has confirmed an additional investment of £300 million into education over the 2020/21 academic year. This money will be sent directly to schools that have been most impacted by the pandemic.
This initiative intends to reduce the widening gap in learning specifically in English and mathematics, as these play a crucial part in all other areas of study and life for our pupils.
Who is it for?
Our online catch-up sessions are for those pupils that need it the most from K1-KS4.
It is a great way for pupils to catch up on any missed lessons and make sure they are more prepared when the next school year starts.
We have been supporting students during the pandemic, now is not any different, we have Qualified, and DBS checked teaches that have years of experience and some have examiner roles combine with their specialised subject knowledge to best support our students.
Our response and who can benefit from our programmes
Our sessions are designed for students to catch-up on what they have missed, but also to get them prepared for the new academic year.
With our support, you will see an improvement in your grades and confidence as packed with interactive sessions that can be booked now.
Our approach would be to support pupils in identifying their gaps in learning, whilst liaising with schools, parents and carers and mentoring pupils to engage with their progress and overcome their challenges.
Previously, we have developed programmes to support the transition from year 6 to 7 in addition to pre-GCSEs and GCSE students.
Our programme is equipped with resources to assess pupils in support of narrowing the gap in learning, it also a means of monitoring progress over time, and it is a reporting tool that can be shared with key and only authorised stakeholders with the best interests of the pupils.
How are the sessions delivered?
All our sessions are delivered online, in groups no more than 10 pupils, as our personalised teaching and learning is founded on the values that every pupil deserves attention and the opportunity to participate.
The sessions are then facilitated by qualified teachers, who can answer any questions about the subject and offer guidance or support.
We have found that a platform like Zoom meetings are best for delivering these type of group sessions. It has an element of interactivity and ownership from students that mimics the classroom delivery, as well all sessions are recorded to support safeguarding, quality assurance and in some instances for revision sessions.
The online delivery is also valuable in times of COVID-19 as it reduces the risk of spread, protecting pupils and staff, also it is not location bound and supports the current flexible/remote ways of working and teaching and learning, while the pupil can access our online tutoring from the comfort of their home after school hours.
Additionally, have access to extra session as an intervention to help work more confidently in areas that might be more challenging.
The value of the online sessions is the added employability skills such as intrapersonal skills, presentation, communication and digital that are paramount for their transition into adult life and employment.
Moreover, it is a peace of mind since at A2i Academy we prime on our vetting process following rigorous checks, request for references combined with teaching and learning recruitment standards and ensuring our staff are subject specialists, including examiner roles.
Related reports:
https://www.annafreud.org/media/4612/mwb-toolki-final-draft-4.pdf
https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_what_works_education_children_SWs_Feb20.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/catch-up-premium-coronavirus-covid-19/catch-up-premium
