VIEWS & OPINION


Safeguarding social mobility in the wake of


COVID-19 school closures Comment by LEE ELLIOT MAJOR, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter


Safeguarding social mobility in the wake of COVID-19 school closures will be multi- generational battle. 2020’s exam-takers will be the first pupils disrupted, but the bigger problem will be large learning losses suffered by all pupils. The education system may never be the same again. Teachers face a testing time (quite literally) as they predict what their


pupils may have got in their SATs, GCSEs and A-levels. This will be helped by ranking pupils in their schools. But the flaw with any predictions of exam grades is that the progress of learning is not linear. Students who leave their best until the last will feel cheated. Poorer pupils, boys and summer-born students may lose out. Many will demand to retake exams again and defer an academic year. Could this mean mixed age classes - ‘stage not age’ schooling? We will need to be vigilant in ensuring the academic potential of poor and minority students is not overlooked. The problem with predicted A- level grades for university admissions is that they are wrong most of the time. Research in the United States meanwhile shows that even with high standardized test scores black and disadvantaged students are systematically under-referred to gifted and talented programmes for high achievers.


A major social mobility danger zone is sixth-form selection. One


dropped grade for pupils could curtail further study at A-level. Admissions at age 16 are the wild west of the education system – lacking the scrutiny that applies to admissions at age 11 and 18. It may be time for hyper-selective sixth forms to shelve their selection criteria for a broader threshold approach, considering all pupils gaining basic GCSEs. How big will the COVID-19 learning slide be? The achievement gap


between poorer pupils and their more privileged peers will certainly widen. Online tutoring is flourishing due to mass home learning. Not all children will benefit from the study space, computers, internet and general support available in middle class homes. To make matters worse the COVID-19 crisis is widening inequalities outside the school gates, with poorly paid workers most likely to lose their jobs in the economic downturn. Disadvantaged pupils could experience learning losses of perhaps four


to six months if disrupted by school closures for several months. Summer learning loss has been documented many times, with poorer children lagging behind when they return to school. Learning slides are observed in reading and maths. Getting children to catch-up is hard to do. A review of literacy catch-


up projects for 11 year olds in primary and secondary schools by the Education Endowment Foundation in 2014 concluded that it was highly unlikely that any single approach would be sufficient to close reading gaps. Bold ideas are needed. A national tutoring service for undergraduates


across the country to tutor disadvantaged pupils in English and maths could be a great help for over-worked teachers. It may also be time to reform a school calendar that has been in place for hundreds of years. Spreading school holidays more evenly across the year, reducing the summer break, would boost the progress of poorer pupils. It would also improve the working lives of teachers as they take on education’s biggest ever catch-up challenge.


How students can maintain positive wellbeing while


self-isolating at university


Comment by TANISHA APPLETON, Wellbeing Manager at Scape


As universities around the country remain closed, the academic future of students has been thrown into uncertainty. In addition to the unknown status of their studies, many have also found themselves locked down away from friends and family, in the confines of their university accommodation. Understandably this uncertain period can impact their mental wellbeing, and so it is more important than ever before that student accommodation providers and universities provide support to their residents. As student living specialists, wellbeing is at the forefront of everything we do here at Scape. We understand that in these challenging times of lockdown and isolation students may need to reach out for additional support. Therefore, it is vital accommodation providers maintain constant monitoring of resident wellbeing, as well as making sure that support services are easily accessible for all. At Scape, we have launched a new app to be able to respond and provide adequate care for all residents. The app is designed to give students the capability to contact a mental


health trained resident manager at a touch of a button, while social distancing. This is proving popular with students, however as some prefer


24 www.education-today.co.uk


to remain anonymous when sharing their struggles, all residents have also been provided with a Big White Wall profile. This platform enables members to post anonymously about how they are feeling and reach out to others in similar positions. We believe its important to encourage students to reach out and talk to each other about how they are feeling always but now so even more than ever. In addition, as students are used to having an active social life with a


full calendar of things to do, it’s important that universities and accommodation providers alike maintain a sense of student community by providing alternative offerings while residents are isolated. For instance, Scape has devised a programme of online activities to keep residents entertained. These interactive, social, online events for students include live online bingo, shared film streaming platforms and Kahoot interactive quizzes to encourage students to connect with one and other from the comfort of their rooms and maintain the community while people are isolated. Although this may be a worrying time, it’s important to encourage


students to maintain a healthy routine. For instance, making sure to get a good night’s sleep will not only boost student’s immune system but also their mood. Too little sleep can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Students should be reminded to adopt good sleep hygiene by getting some fresh air and exercise each day. To support students with this, Scape has provided students with fitness and exercise programmes as well as a schedule of live streamed sessions through Moviing, an online platform sharing training routines perfect for small spaces. As we navigate our way through these uncertain times, students need


to know that they are not alone in this and it’s important to remind them that it’s ok to ask for help. Social connections and community are key to maintaining wellbeing and a sense of belonging. Therefore, it is vital that as student accommodation providers we do everything in our power to maintain wellbeing and support each other during this period.


May 2020


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