Seòmar agus comataidhean

We are seeking detail from HM Treasury on any consequential funding along with information on the planned tax and levy as a result of the UK Government’s recent announcement.

I will set out a sustainable path forward next month and I hope by that time we will know the details of the consequentials.

For families who are home-schooling there is a range of support available, details of which are provided on the Parent Club Scotland and the Parentzone Scotland websites. Most recently the Scottish Government announced a new £45 million package of support to help local authorities to provide support to schools and families as they deal with the challenges of remote learning during lockdown. Councils may use the funding for recruitment of additional staff, additional digital devices or to provide additional family support.

We recognise that due to Covid-19, there will be increased financial pressures on many households including families who are home-schooling. Since the beginning of the pandemic the Scottish Government has been providing support for households struggling with their energy bills through a variety of channels. We increased the budget for the Scottish Welfare Fund to meet additional demand arising as a consequence of Covid-19, as well as providing further funding for Local Authorities to be used flexibly to provide support to those facing financial insecurity, including support for fuel costs.

Most recently we have distributed £7 million via the Help with Fuel element of the Winter Support Programme. This includes £4 million for a Home Heating Support Fund administered by Advice Direct Scotland, £2 million to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations for grants to Registered Social Landlords for practical initiatives to help tenants struggling to meet their fuel costs this winter and £445,000 for the Fuel Bank Foundation to help households on prepayment meters, or who rely on unregulated fuels like heating oil, who are at risk of self-disconnection.

Furthermore, Home Energy Scotland (HES) is funded by the Scottish Government to provide a range of energy related advice services and support to householders in Scotland. HES can make referrals for benefit checks, manage energy supplier switching, help with accessing the Warm Home Discount and other financial assistance, as well as providing advice on how to use energy in the home more efficiently. They can also assess eligibility for the Scottish Government’s energy efficiency schemes, which could help make long lasting improvements to home heating systems and insulation.

All schools and regulated childcare providers are currently able to remain open for children of keyworkers.

This means that children who are offered a place, can access their usual childcare or school setting, including for wraparound childcare services before and after school. Informal childcare (the use of friends or family) is also permitted under the current restrictions where necessary.

The definitions of key workers agreed with local authorities previously during the pandemic continue to apply in the current circumstances and are defined in the guidance published in January for schools and for childcare. This guidance is intended to be used by local authorities, childcare settings and schools themselves to consider which children and families will benefit most from continued attendance at their usual setting, and to prioritise places accordingly.

Parents who believe they meet the criteria set out in the guidance can speak to their usual school or childcare provider or the local authority for further information.

Business has a key role to play in minimising the demand for school and childcare places. Employers are asked to be flexible with staff in these circumstances and to prioritise and only request places for staff who are absolutely critical to the provision of essential services and who cannot work from home.

We are committed to ensuring that learners can be fairly assessed this year following the cancellation of the 2021 exam diet. National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams in 2021 have been replaced by an Alternative Certification Model based on teachers’ and lecturers’ judgement of evidence of each individual pupil’s attainment.

Following the move to remote learning, the National Qualifications 2021 Group has been overseeing changes to the Alternative Certification Model and associated timeline that was announced in December 2020. A revised Alternative Certification Model was published on 16 February taking into account the current remote learning position. This includes an extension of the final date for schools and colleges to submit provisional results to 25 June 2021 to allow greater time for learning and teaching. This provides clarity to teachers and learners on the assessment approach to be adopted this year.

The priority at this time, and on immediate return to school, should be on learning and teaching to ensure that learners consolidate learning and have sufficient course coverage prior to assessment later in the academic session.

Provisional results will be based on demonstrated learner attainment consistent with the requirements set out in National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher subject-specific guidance published by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. These results will be subject to local and national quality assurance.

The Scottish Government recognises that remote learning arrangements present a number of challenges for young people, parents and carers, particularly those learners working towards National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications. We have been working intensively with national partners to ensure that our senior phase learners are provided with the clarity and the support they need.

On 16 February, the National Qualifications 2021 Group issued an update to the Alternative Certification Model to address the current remote learning position. The details provide clarity on the assessment approach to be adopted this year, with a further extension to the submission date for provisional results to 25 June to provide more time for learning and teaching.

The priority at this time, and on immediate return to school, should be on learning and teaching to ensure that learners consolidate learning and have sufficient course coverage prior to assessment later in the academic session.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has published a blog which aims to keep learners, parents and carers informed on changes to assessment of SQA qualifications, which can be found at the following link: https://blogs.sqa.org.uk/2021/

Local authorities and individual schools are responsible for providing advice and support to parents which is relevant to their own context and situation, and their teachers and schools draw on information and advice from the SQA and Education Scotland.

The advice from schools to parents and carers is supplemented by a range of national advice sources, including:

• The National Parent Form of Scotland (NPFS) provides a Nutshell guide on learning at home which they are currently updating. This is part of a broader suite of Nutshell guides for parents, available from the NPFS website.
• The NPFS is hosting a series of webinars on the phased return to school which will be posted on You Tube.
• Practical advice and support to parents is available via the Parent Club Covid-19 site, which includes specific advice on supporting teenagers with learning at home.
• Advice materials and further remote learning activities provided via the Education Scotland “Scotland Learns” platform.
• Additional study support options for senior phase learners. As part of the National e-Learning Offer, the e-Sgoil initiative has been widening access to a range of live lesson programmes covering ages 3 to 18, augmenting the work of classroom teachers across the country. In September 2020, e-Sgoil rolled out a package of free interactive online study webinars for senior phase pupils, an offer which has received positive feedback from learners. For the duration of this current period, e-Sgoil is running a new Lockdown Live programme. The e-Sgoil provision includes daytime online study support sessions, available to all schools who use the Glow platform, and encompassing National 5 qualifications.

E-Sgoil are currently looking for S4/5/6 pupils input to planning for their Easter Study Support provision. This will be held during the week beginning 5 April 2021. It is individual schools’ decision as to whether and how they wish to integrate the e-Sgoil offer as part of their own learning and teaching support to learners. Further information is available at: http://e-sgoil.com/daytimestudysupport2020/

We are continuing to prioritise the safe opening of schools and Early Learning and Childcare. Unregulated activities for children under 12 can continue outdoors at this time. We will gradually open up these services, when it is safe to do so.

Decisions around the phased return to in-school learning continue to be based upon scientific data and evidence on the prevalence and transmission of the virus. This, in line with the four harms methodology, is balanced alongside wider issues of equity and wellbeing. We have been clear that our aim is for all children and young people to benefit from in-person provision as soon as it is safe to do so, and that this will be prioritised ahead of the easing of restrictions elsewhere in society. However, we need to balance this with recognition of the higher levels of transmissibility of the new variant, and the need to act carefully so as not to increase prevalence either nationally or locally.

We are continuing to discuss plans for the return to in-person provision with the Education Recovery Group on a weekly basis.

The Scottish Government has prioritised the needs of vulnerable pupils including those with additional support needs as part of our response to COVID-19. We have asked that schools remain open to provide for vulnerable pupils and those children of key workers.

The First Minister confirmed to Parliament on 16 February that the phased return of in-person learning would begin on 22 February and updated guidance to support this was published on the same day. The guidance outlines that a small number of further children and young people with additional support needs should be considered for return to school. This should include those across any stages of learning within special schools and enhanced provision for whom there is a clear and demonstrable necessity for in-person learning and support that cannot otherwise be provided at home.

These decisions are best made locally to allow the circumstances of pupils, their families and establishments to be taken into account in the decision making process.

Schools and teachers continue to improve the provision of remote learning during current school closures. This has been confirmed through Education Scotland’s ongoing National Overview of Remote Learning Practice.

Where learners are assessed as needing further support in light of Covid related disruption, it is important that local authorities, schools and families work together to identify appropriate solutions that meet individual learner needs.

We are investing a further £100 million in education recovery and additional family support. This is in addition to existing investments such as £127 million in Pupil Equity Funding to support those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In total, more than £250 million in Pupil Equity Funding will be made available to 97% of schools over two years, 2020-21 and 2021-22. A new stakeholder reference group will take forward action on the findings of the Equity Audit and will inform the next iteration of the Scottish Attainment Challenge programme, which has a vital role to play in education recovery.

There is an equally important role for youth work in ensuring that young people’s wellbeing and development is supported. The £3m Youth Work Education Recovery Fund was established to enable the sector to support young people in some of the country's most vulnerable communities to engage and re-engage with vital learning opportunities. The fund, administered by YouthLink Scotland, has made 64 awards to organisations across Scotland working with young people impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 13,000 young people in Scotland stand to benefit directly from the Fund.

It is vital that schools and authorities are provided with the resources they need to support learners to re-engage with their learning, as well as the flexibility to tailor the support to the needs of the school community, and the needs of individual learners. At present there are no plans to take a single blanket national approach to increase pupils’ learning time, but we will continue to work with the Covid-19 Education Recovery Group to further develop our strategy and approach, and to consider all appropriate steps to support learners impacted by the pandemic.

At all of the protection levels, people can still go into another household to provide care and support for a vulnerable person, or to avoid illness, injury or harm. This can include providing emotional support for someone whose wellbeing is at risk, including for those who are isolated because of disability or a caring situation. For this reason, the Scottish Government does not plan to make changes to the extended household policy on this issue.