Over 90 per cent school attendance in Lincolnshire despite outbreaks

Heather Sandy, Executive Director for Children’s Services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Since September, school attendance has been above the national average — as it was during the first lockdown.”

She added that the strong attendance at schools “is helping pupils catch up and is providing opportunities for social interaction.”

However, as the same time, there are three times as many home schooled children in Lincolnshire due to the pandemic.

Ofsted said in a report last week that “children hardest hit by COVID-19 pandemic are regressing in basic skills and learning”.

In response, Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a “massive catch-up operation” which included £350 million being distributed to the Department for Education and children’s services in order to support children affected by school closures due to COVID-19.

Heather Sandy said the council has “implemented an advice line to further support schools in the use of early intervention services to prevent children’s needs escalating further”.

She added that “emotional wellbeing and trauma-informed training for all of our schools and early years settings” is also being provided.

Furthermore, Children’s Services are also addressing gaps in learning with support from the national catch-up funding.