Further details on £1bn Covid catch-up fund released

The government has announced more details on its £1 billion catch up fund. This includes a one-off universal £650 million catch-up premium for the 2020 to 2021 academic and the £350 million National Tutoring Programme.

Schools’ allocations will be calculated on a per pupil basis, providing each mainstream school with a total of £80 for each pupil in years reception through to 11.

Special, Alternative Provision and hospital schools will be provided with £240 for each place for the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

The DfE has applied additional weighting to specialist settings, recognising the significantly higher per pupil costs they face.

This means a typical primary school of 200 pupils will receive £16,000 while a typical secondary school of 1,000 pupils will receive £80,000.

The funding will be provided in three tranches. The DfE will provide schools with an initial part payment in autumn 2020, based on the latest available data on pupils in mainstream schools and high needs place numbers in special, AP, hospital schools and special schools not maintained by a local authority.

The second grant payment will be distributed in early 2021, based on updated pupil and place data. For mainstream schools, the DfE will use the 4 to 15 pupil headcount from the October 2020 census.

For special, AP and hospital schools, the DfE will use 2019 to 2020 academic year place numbers from the published local authority 2019 to 2020 financial year budget returns for local authority-maintained schools and the published high needs place numbers for the 2020 to 2021 academic year for academies and special schools not maintained by a local authority.

The second grant payment will also take account of the initial part payment made in autumn 2020 so that schools will receive a total of £46.67 per pupil or £140 per place across the first two payment rounds.

A further £33.33 per pupil or £100 per place will be paid during the summer term 2021.

Though funding has been calculated on a per pupil or per place basis, 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.

Schools should use this funding for specific activities to support their pupils to catch up for lost teaching over the previous months, in line with the guidance on curriculum expectations for the next academic year.

Schools have the flexibility to spend their funding in the best way for their cohort and circumstances.

To support schools to make the best use of this funding, the Education Endowment Foundation has published a support guide for schools with evidence-based approaches to catch up for all students. Schools should use this document to help them direct their additional funding in the most effective way.

Alongside the universal catch-up premium, the DfE's £350 million National Tutoring Programme will provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people who need the most help.

The programme will comprise of at least two parts in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, including a 5 to 16 programme that 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.

The second part is 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).