London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Pupils need 'bold and ambitious' recovery plan, says tsar

Pupils need 'bold and ambitious' recovery plan, says tsar

Children need a period of recovery that is "long-term and sustained and far-reaching", England's education recovery commissioner has told MPs.

Sir Kevan Collins said the concept of "catching up" academically was only part of what was needed to help children recover in the coming months.

The coronavirus pandemic has revealed "underlying scars and issues" in the school system, Sir Kevan said.

And he warned that disadvantaged pupils had been hit hardest of all.

"I think we have to be bold and ambitious," Sir Kevan told the Commons Education Select Committee.

"Catch-up isn't really the language I'm using - I think it's much more about recovery over time. Catch-up is part of it, but that isn't going to be enough - we do need something over the longer period.

"And the disruption has hit children who face disadvantage more than others."

Asked whether extending the school day could help in the future, he said: "I tend to think that right now is not a time for either/or.

"It's a time for all things being considered, all things being available."

Prof Becky Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, who also gave evidence to MPs, said there were only "marginal gains" in a longer school day.

"It's been shown that there's a tapering of benefit the longer that the school day progresses. It's no coincidence, I think, that we've come to a place with the average school day - there are issues around pupils' attention and what can be required of pupils."

Summer schools


On the issue of summer schools, Sir Kevan said decisions were best made at a local level.

"It's for schools to determine and target which children, if any, they want to bring to the summer schools.

"School will assess, they'll meet, they know their children and will try to work out what different children need - so the right children can be targeted for the summer schools and I think schools are right to call that."

All pupils in England are returning to school from next week

He added: "The notion of a school-led or locally-led recovery is very important to me. We need to trust people on the ground to put these things together rather than decide that from the top.

"It needs to be a school-led, settings-led, college-led recovery."

Geoff Barton, head of the school leaders' union ASCL, told the MPs it was important for head teachers to have autonomy over how they spent funds from government.

He said what would benefit pupils most was a "broad and balanced" curriculum, where sport and music were not sidelined.

Mr Barton said good quality teaching was key to helping pupils move on from the disruption of the pandemic.

"We need teachers to teach like they've never taught before," he said.

Vocational courses and early years


Sir Kevan also called for "urgent" support to be targeted at young people in Year 11 and further education (FE) colleges who are studying vocational courses, or who want to seek a vocational route after their GCSEs.

"We need to think hard about that group who are always, I think, the group too easily forgotten, who aren't going on to university, aren't going in to A-levels, but are the young people I still think, as a system, we don't serve as well as we should, and making sure that their needs are met."

Sir Kevan was asked about funding for the early years sector and said the government's multi-million pound support for pre-school children in England who have faced Covid-19 disruption was "not sufficient".

Asked whether £18m of catch-up funding was enough to support children in the early years, he said: "No, it is not sufficient.

"I think the whole package isn't sufficient. I think it's a good start but this is not the recovery plan."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
×