Trusts are free to carry forward unspent catch-up premium into 2021-22 but it will therefore need to be spent by 31 August 2022.
The terms and conditions setting out how the catch-up funding should be used is fairly wide, as long as the funding is used to support their pupils’ education recovery in line with the curriculum expectations in the actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak guidance.
Academies are free to use the funding in any way that suits their cohort and circumstances, although they are expected to use this funding for specific activities which will help pupils catch up on missed learning. Schools should (notably not a ‘must’) particularly focus on disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) support guide for schools published by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is a useful resource and contains lots of evidence-based approaches to catch up for all students. The EEF have also published the school planning guide: 2020 to 2021 which contains further guidance on how schools should implement catch-up strategies. This guide also contains case studies to highlight effective practice.
Accountability
It is vital that school leaders can demonstrate how they are using the funding to support their pupils’ educational recovery.
Trustees and school governors therefore need to asking questions about how this funding has been spent, and they should scrutinise their school’s approach to catch-up, including their plans for and use of catch-up funding.
The DfE guidance on what academies, free schools and colleges should publish online makes it clear that all schools should publish details of:
- how it is intended that the grant will be spent;
- how the effect of this expenditure on the educational attainment of those pupils at the school will be assessed.
Since this is a best practice ‘should’ rather than a ‘must’ there is no specific format that the information need to be published in, nor is there any deadline. We do believe, however, that the DfE will expect academies to be publishing something early in the 2021/22 year in order to be both accountable and transparent. It is also widely expected that Ofsted will wish to discuss plans schools have to spend their catch-up premium funding at any forthcoming inspections, and it would be looked on favourably if a school has made this information publicly available.
The next steps
For more information, please contact Allan Hickie or your usual UHY adviser.
