School Closures Parent Polling

Report Overview

The closing of schools due to the Covid-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the lives of many parents, who now find themselves stepping into the role of teacher. This polling, conducted by Public First, looks at how parents are coping with home schooling their children and whether they feel they have received enough support from their child’s school. The polling also explores the socio-economic factors involved in providing teaching at home, including the amount of money parents are spending in order to support learning.

Key Findings

Only 42% of parents feel confident home-schooling their children: 47% of middle class parents feel confident compared to just 37% of working class parents.
Almost half (49%) of better-off parents reported being satisfied with the learning support provided by schools for children now at home. A slightly smaller proportion (40%) of working class parents said they were either quite or very satisfied.
Children from better off households are more than twice as likely to have had more than £100 spent on their education since the shutdown, (19% of middle class children v 8% of working class).
Almost 1 in 10 children have had £150 spent on their education at home, and just under a quarter of children have had £50 spent on them.
The numbers of children receiving private tuition have gone down, with 8% of children stopping tuition and only 4% taking it up. However, use of online tuition is growing among better off households.

Recommendation

High-quality online tuition should be made available for disadvantaged pupils during the shutdown, potentially funded through a voucher scheme or through a network of quality-assured tutoring providers.

The Education Endowment Foundation, the Sutton Trust’s sister charity, will be providing direct for support for schools through guidance and resources.

School Closures Parent Polling

Report Overview

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