How was your teenager affected by the school closures?
In the last in our series of posts about the effect of the pandemic and school closures on students, we take a look at Key Stage 3 and 4 students.
In April this year, the government published a press release entitled “Strong signs of recovery across education, but challenges remain”. The press release was in response to a second Ofsted report published in July 2022 into the pandemic’s continued impact on education providers. The press release started with the following paragraph:
“The reports find that much good progress has been made across the education sector to help children and learners recover the knowledge and skills they missed out on during the pandemic. However, amid strong signs of recovery, it’s also clear that many education providers continue to face challenges, some of which could have longer-term consequences.”
The key findings by the Ofsted report can be summarised as follows:
Academic learning
The pandemic had affected pupils’ learning during the year (2021 /22). At the end of the summer term of this year, “some pupils are not as ready for the next stage as they would usually be”.
The pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on some children with special educational needs and there have been delays in getting the required support.
“Some pupils are still behind both academically and in terms of wider development, which will affect them in future. This will be a challenge for these pupils as they take their next step”.
The report highlights concerns raised about pupils at Key Stage 3, particularly Year 7 and Year 8, and the disruption they had suffered when moving up to secondary school. The report also noted a “variation in pupils’ knowledge and skills, depending on primary school provision during the pandemic. Some were still catching up on Key Stage 2 curriculum content, including in reading and mathematics.”
Mental health, well being and behaviour
At the time of the report, Ofsted noted schools were still reporting, “the negative impact of the pandemic on pupils’ well-being and behaviour”.
Some teachers had reported greater anxiety and lower self-confidence among some pupils. At the beginning of the academic year in 2021, schools were also reporting poorer behaviour and social skills and although these concerns appear to have improved during the course of the last year, there were still some issues, namely, “Some Year 7 and Year 8 pupils were still struggling with behaviour expectations, and often displayed less mature behaviour than pupils of this age might previously have done.”.
Does this resonate?
Of course, every child’s experience of the pandemic was different. But the above findings certainly align with what we’re hearing from many parents. Some children have caught up, but others are struggling and still have gaps in their learning. As with all the age groups we’ve looked at in this series however, two of the most notable effects of the school closures has been the impact on wellbeing and social skills.
We can help
Our small, workshop style groups can help with both learning loss (or gaps) and social skills. Our programme is designed around the academic needs of your child and focusses on the core skills of maths, English and reasoning but our programmes are also designed to help build or rebuild your child’s confidence. The small group environment is a supportive, friendly and safe place ideal for developing and building social skills as your child gets to know their mentor and fellow students.
It's worth noting that we call our staff mentors, rather than tutors. This is because, although they are all suitably qualified to support the kids in their groups, their role extends beyond the academic. They help every child to develop strong study skills, build confidence and a love of learning. Much more than just “tutoring”!
The effects of the pandemic may well be with us for a long time, but with a little support, we can help your child reach their full potential.
If you’d like to know more, or to enrol your child, you can find your local MagiKats centre here: https://www.magikats.co.uk/magikats-tuition-centres
Our other posts in this series are: