COVID-19 Catch Up Premium Funding for 2020-21
The DfE have announced £650 million COVID-19 Catch Up Premium Funding for 2020-21 for all state funded mainstream (primary and secondary) schools and special schools. This will mean an increase of £80 per pupil in years reception through to year 11. For special schools the amount is £240 per school place.
The funding will be provided in 3 tranches. Part payments will be made in Autumn 2020 with a 2nd grant early in 2021 and the final payment in the summer term 2021. For a typical primary school of 200 pupils they will receive £16,000 while a typical secondary school of 1,000 pupils will receive £80,000.
Though funding has been calculated on a per pupil or per place basis, it is proposed schools should use the sum available to them as a single total from which to prioritise support for pupils according to their need.
The grant will only be available for the 2020 to 2021 academic year. It will not be added to schools’ baselines in calculating future years’ funding allocations. Governors will be expected to scrutinise the spending of this money. It is recommended that schools have a separate budget code for this funding which is monitored through WES finance.
National Tutoring Programme
Although all children have had their education disrupted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it is likely that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups will have been hardest hit. That is why, alongside the universal catch-up premium, The DfE are launching a £350 million National Tutoring Programme to provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people who need the most help.
The programme will comprise of at least 3 parts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, including:
- a 5 to 16 programmethat will make high-quality tuition available to 5 to 16-year olds in state-funded primary and secondary schools from the second half of autumn term 2020
- a 16 to 19 fund for school sixth forms, colleges and all other 16 to 19 providers to provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16 to 19 students whose studies have been disrupted as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) - guidance setting out further detail of this element will be issued shortly
- a reception year early language programmethat will make training and resources available at no-cost to schools where additional targeted support for oral language would be particularly beneficial
The 5 to 16 programme
Register your interest on the National Tutoring Programme website.
The 5 to 16 programme will increase access to high-quality tuition for disadvantaged and vulnerable 5 to 16-year olds.
The programme will have 3 parts. Across both parts of the programme, tutors will be a powerful tool to support the delivery of the school’s curriculum plan for the next academic year. Tutoring will begin from the second half of the autumn term and increase through spring term 2021.
Schools will be able to use their catch-up premium to cover the subsidised cost of the programme.
- Tuition partners
Schools in all regions will be able to access subsidised tuition from an approved list of tuition partners.
These organisations - which will all be subject to quality, safeguarding and evaluation standards - will be given support and funding to reach as many disadvantaged pupils as possible.
We will be working in partnership with the EEF to deliver this part of the programme. Tutoring organisations will be invited to apply from September 2020 and the offer will be available to schools from November 2020.
Read about tuition partners and how to access tutoring from them.
- Academic mentors
Schools in the most disadvantaged areas will be supported to employ in-house academic mentors to provide small group tuition to their pupils.
Teach First will be supporting the recruitment, training and placement of the first cohort of academic mentors and their salaries will be subsidised by the government.
Some academic mentors will start working in schools from October half-term, with the remainder starting in spring term 2021.
Read about academic mentors including how to express interest in employing a mentor and who is eligible to apply to become one.