Students struggling to access mainstream education have lost an enormous amount of learning; how can those students be supported?
A recent report from the Government has highlighted how educational recovery for students is an important issue that needs addressing.
The amount of lost learning is drastic. According to research:
“Pupils in England, on average, lost 61 out of 190 days of schooling between March 2020 and April 2021.”
The pandemic caused massive disruption to the education sector and student progression, but online learning sustained students’ academic focus.
Online learning helped students during the pandemic and now continues to support those who struggle to access mainstream education.
Fully supporting every student realistically isn’t feasible. Institutions must identify suitable strategies for each specific student so that they can be helped in the best way possible. According to the Government’s report:
“Schools were also using assessment to identify individuals or groups of pupils who needed additional support, such as one-to-one interventions. Some were using tutoring to help pupils catch up. Most schools chose to use the school-led route offered by the National Tutoring Programme and trained their own staff internally or across academy trusts in tutoring.”
The National Tutoring Programme wasn’t successful as first hoped and school budgets could have been distributed better.
Educational recovery for students needs to be tackled with a holistic approach. Recognising each student’s individual needs as a whole can enable quicker recovery of lost learning.
Students require help now more than ever and online learning could be a key factor in helping, especially for those not attending mainstream education.
Support is needed for students
With traditional exams returning for the first time in three years, how can students who haven’t been in mainstream education be supported?
One-to-one support for students is essential, but not every student can be helped equally. But, what if there was a way of identifying a solution for them in which their learning could be automated and they even learnt by themselves?
“Assess learning needs by determining skills and knowledge gaps based on the implemented or adjusted curriculum. Both continuous formative and summative assessments are essential.”
Certain online platforms can provide a continuous assessment that enables students to identify areas for improvement and assess their current academic ability.
Additionally, exceptional, engaging and relevant 2022 GCSE content is required for students to progress and recover lost education. For students to acquire such content, thorough research should be conducted on the appropriate platform that will provide the best benefits for each specific student.
“We saw less effective practice when leaders were assuming pupils had gaps in knowledge but were not identifying what specific knowledge was missing; when they were focusing disproportionately on core subjects; and when they were using standardised, high-level assessments that did not check that pupils have learned what has been taught.”
Areas for improvement needs must be specifically identified for each learner if there is any hope of educational recovery at a quickened rate.
Student mental health needs support
Student mental health has deteriorated over recent years and the pandemic is a contributing factor. According to research:
“Among those aged 6 to 16 in England, one in six had a probable mental health condition in 2021, up from one in nine in 2017.”
For students to progress with their education, their mental health has to be considered. There have been several safeguarding risks over the years and the pandemic has exacerbated the situation.
Online learning has played a pivotal role in ensuring students continue their education and helped sustain a calibre of mental well-being for students over the years.
If a suitable online platform is in place then certain students who cannot access mainstream education can thrive with their education and focus on recovering their lost learning from the pandemic.
EDClass can be your alternative provision
EDClass has been an established alternative provision provider for over 14 years assisting students who cannot get access to mainstream education.
With one-to-one support for students from UK-qualified teachers, students can learn at their own pace in a safeguarded online learning environment from the comfort of their own homes.
The platform includes over 17,000 pre-made lessons and nearly 2,000 video lessons that can reduce teacher workload. A gap analysis model that identifies areas for improvement, that is extremely useful for educational recovery, is also incorporated.
If you would like some more information on how EDClass can help you and your students then call the team on 01909 568 338, send an email to mail@edclass.com or book a free online demonstration here.
