Written question WQ84835

The pandemic has had significant impacts on learners and the education system that supports them. In addressing these impacts, we have sought to prioritise supporting learners’ well-being and progression.

In the last two financial years, we have invested a total of £499 million to support learners across the country with the impacts of the pandemic. This includes over £220 million in 2020-21, when we introduced the Recruit, Recover, and Raise Standards programme, which recruited 1,800 full-time equivalent staff into the system. Schools have been able to use this funding to best support their learners – including the use of learning coaches, supporting emotional well-being, or language support for those in Welsh-medium education. Funding in 2020-21 also included support for those completing qualifications, including vocational qualifications, support for learner mental health, extending free school meal provision into the holidays, providing devices for learners to support blended learning, and additional funding for Additional Learning Needs provision.

My Renew and Reform plan, published in June 2021, is supported by over £278 million in 2021-22 to address the unique challenges faced by different groups of learners and to support their well-being and progression in response to the pandemic. It includes specific support for vulnerable and disadvantaged learners, focusing on reducing the likelihood of long-term impacts, and takes a whole-school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing. The Renew and Reform plan is clear on the importance of supporting the foundations for learning – including the mental health and emotional wellbeing of learners, their relationships and their physical health. A range of evidence and research studies over the last year have shown the importance of well-being as a platform to enable learners to achieve in their learning.

The priority cohorts set out in the plan were identified in discussion with partners and informed by the evidence of where the pandemic has had the greatest impact. We have targeted our funding against key challenges, including building capacity in the system to support all learners by retaining the 1,800 full-time equivalent staff recruited through Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards and supporting newly-qualified teachers into placements; providing specific support for vulnerable and disadvantaged learners; ensuring our youngest learners have access to quality, play-based learning opportunities; and supporting learners in post-16 and transition years to move on to their next steps. We have also supported learners in Welsh-medium education, including through a £2.2m funding package to expand the late immersion programme – supporting learners at Welsh-medium schools who lost the opportunity to use their Welsh every day during the pandemic.

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) found in February 2021 that Wales’ “catch up programmes are far better targeted at their most disadvantaged pupils”. The EPI’s October 2021 report also found that Wales is spending the highest per-pupil in the UK on addressing pandemic impacts in education.