AQW 11943/17-22

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 11/12/2020
Answered On Date: 21/12/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) how he is ensuring that parents are confident their children are getting the educational and mental health and wellbeing support they need to catch up from school closures; and (ii) the resources provided to parents to advise them on how to help their children catch up.

Answer:

I introduced the Engage Programme this year to help address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children's learning. It provides schools with extra funding so that they can secure additional qualified teachers, enabling the provision of child-centred one to one, small group or team teaching support. This support is targeted at pupils identified by their school as most benefitting from additional support following the lockdown period, and in accordance with their particular needs.

With regards to the emotional health and wellbeing of pupils returning to school after lockdown, it is important to note that a range of resources have been made available to schools to assist them in responding to pupil need which in turn helps them to engage in learning. The following examples of support have been/are available to schools:

‘Supporting wellbeing through education restart’: an online portal of resources available to schools with information on supporting learners, leaders and staff;

Resources on the EA website to support the emotional health and wellbeing of learners and information for parents;

‘Flourishing schools’ webinars – in partnership with SBNI. These were for school principals and focused on trauma sensitive practice (Early Year, Primary and Special schools webinars have taken place, and post primary schools;

Shane Martin Webinars for School Leaders: Cultivating Resilience within School Communities. The aim of this webinar was to help support school leaders through the challenges of Restart with a specific emphasis on resilience;

EA youth service online resource ‘youth online’ where children and young people can access information, advice and support;

EA services including the Independent Counselling Service for Schools in post primary mainstream and Special Schools; Education Welfare Service; Behaviour Support and Provisions Helpline; Primary Behaviour Support Team High Five newsletter; Critical Incident Response Team and Nurturing Approaches in Schools Service and the Children Looked After project including TAP – The Attach Programme;

Wellbeing Helpline – facilitated by the Education Psychology Service. This was a temporary resource to schools to support them as they respond to a range of pupil need in school;

Finally, I can advise that I recently launched the Wellbeing Fund providing £5m in 2020/21 direct to all schools (nursery, primary, post primary, special), as well as EOTAS and Youth Settings to help address Wellbeing pressures arising as a result of Covid-19. By receiving their own allocation, settings will benefit from having the flexibility to use the money to provide health and wellbeing support for their pupils and/or staff.