The share of in-class content covered by remote learning materials at schools in the United Kingdom increased significantly between December 2020 and January 2021, rising from 56 percent to 85 percent in Primary schools, and from 73 percent to 87 percent at Secondary schools. This increase was due to schools generally closing their doors to regular attendance in early 2021, as the Coronavirus pandemic situation worsened in the UK.

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In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools in England closed their buildings to all but vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers on 20 March 2020, representing an unprecedented disruption to the education of children and young people. This project explores schools' responses to the Covid-19 emergency and the impact this is having on pupils and teachers. Data will be collected via two school surveys, each administered to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) Teacher Voice panel, and all remaining publicly-funded mainstream primary and secondary schools in England. The survey is offered for completion by a senior leader and a number of teachers within each school. The first survey (Wave 1) was administered in schools between 7 and 17 May 2020. The second (Wave 2), focused on the challenges schools would face from September, and was administered between 8 and 15 July.

Further information and research findings may be found on the NFER Schools' responses to Covid-19 webpage.

Latest edition information
For the second edition (December 2020), data and documentation for Wave 2 were added to the study.

Senior Leaders' survey:

Wave 1:

• Mechanisms for supporting remote learning
• Curriculum, teaching and learning and assessment via remote learning
• In-school provision for vulnerable children and the children of keyworkers
• Remote support for vulnerable pupils who are not attending school
• Job satisfaction
• Preparing schools for opening more fully
• Personal characteristics

Wave 2:

• The school’s provision during the Covid-19 crisis
• 'Catch-up' arrangements
• Preparing for the new school year
• Staffing in the school
• Personal characteristics

Teachers' survey:

Wave 1:

• Mechanisms for supporting remote learning
• Curriculum, teaching and learning
• Provision for vulnerable children and the children of keyworkers
• Job satisfaction
• Personal characteristics

Wave 2:

• Questions about teaching and learning during the Covid-19 crisis
• Identifying pupils' needs and deciding where support is most needed
• Personal characteristics

Initial estimates of staff and pupils testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) from the COVID-19 Schools Infection Survey across a sample of schools, within high and low prevalence local authority areas in England.

Figures on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and vaccination uptake among the school workforce in state-funded primary, secondary, and special schools in England broken down by demographic and geographic characteristics. Using a linked School Workforce Census, NHS Test and Trace and National Immunisation Management system dataset (experimental statistics).

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many disruptions to children’s education, including the education of children with intellectual (learning) disability and/or autism. We investigated the educational experiences of autistic children and children with an intellectual disability about a year after the COVID-19 pandemic started in the UK.

An online survey collected data during the summer/autumn of 2021 from 1,234 parents of 5 to 15 year-old children across all 4 UK countries. The study investigated school attendance and home learning experiences of children with intellectual disability and/or autistic children who were registered to attend school in 2021. The study also investigated the experience of Elective Home Education in families of children with a neurodevelopmental condition whose child was de-registered from school before and after the pandemic started in the UK in March 2020.

The study provided evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on school attendance and home education for children with a neurodevelopmental condition.

Education changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools closed in 2019/20. There was compulsory return to school in September 2020 with measures in place to control infection and new regulations about COVID-19-related absences. School attendance in the first term of 2020-21 was lower compared to other years. Many children were de-registered from school. In early 2020-21, there was a second prolonged period of national school closures. The pandemic has caused many disruptions to children's education.

Children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs), in particular intellectual disability and autism, are the most vulnerable of vulnerable groups. Among children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), children with intellectual disability and/or autism consistently struggle to meet the required standards in education. Our study will focus on these two groups of children.

Before the pandemic, many children with NDCs missed school. Then the pandemic disrupted everyone's education. Approximately one year after the pandemic started, we will investigate the educational experiences of children with NDCs.

Our project will investigate: - School absence and reasons for absence among children with intellectual disability and/or autism - Child, family, and school factors associated with school absence - Barriers and facilitators of school attendance - Parents' experiences of home schooling

An online survey will collect data from approximately 1,500 parents of 5 to 17 year-old children with NDCs across all 4 UK countries. We will recruit parents of: (i) children registered with a school in spring/summer 2021; (ii) children not registered with a school in spring/summer 2021 but who were registered with a school at the start of the pandemic in March 2020; and (iii) children not registered with a school on either date. We will collect data on school attendance for those registered with a school, and data on home learning experiences for those not registered with a school. For all children, we will collect data on their mental health.

The first analysis will investigate school absence with a focus on children registered with a school. We will summarise school absence data as well as reasons for absence as reported by the parents. The second analysis will investigate school attendance: attending school or home schooling. We will describe the children currently registered to attend school (group 1), those not currently registered who were registered in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic (group 2), and those not registered on either point (group 3). We will summarise the reasons parents give for de-registering their child from school. Our final analysis will focus on home learning support during home schooling. We will describe the types of support schools offer to school-registered students during remote learning (when students are self-isolating/shielding, or schools are closed because of lockdown). We will describe the home learning experiences of school de-registered children and parents' satisfaction with these arrangements.

We will work closely with parents of children with NDCs, seeking their advice on the study. Our team includes the Council for Disabled Children, the largest umbrella organization in the UK bringing together many charities supporting disabled children and their families. We will share the study findings widely, including key messages for policies related to the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Figures on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine uptake in school pupils aged 12 to 17 years attending state-funded secondary, sixth form and special schools, broken down by demographic and geographic characteristics, using a linked English Schools Census and National Immunisation Management System dataset. Experimental Statistics.

This study sought to assess the impact of COVID-19 and social isolation on young people's experiences of online sexual risks and gendered harms during a period of increased reliance on screens. Through surveys, and focus group interviews with young people (ages 13-21) and parents/carers, and teachers, the study addressed gaps in knowledge by exploring young people's differing experiences of online sexual harassment during Covid-19, in relation to gender (girls, boys, gender non-conforming), sexuality (LGBTQI+) and other intersecting identities. Survey: We administered an online survey to 551 teens of all genders (aged 13-18), 72 parents/carers, and 47 teachers, safeguarding leads and/or school staff across schools in England. These surveys were disseminated between May and September 2021 by our charitable partner, School of Sexuality Education (SSE). The survey for teens asked participants about their experiences of online sexual and gendered risk and harm during COVID-19, and the survey for parents/carers asked participants about their understanding of social media platforms (e.g. TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.), and awareness of their children’s experiences of online sexual and gendered risk and harm online during COVID-19. The survey for teachers asked questions around their students’ experiences with a range of digital harassment and abuse (including technology facilitated gender-based violence), any training they received, and if their schools have policies dealing with these issues. Focus Groups and Interviews: Enacting a rigorous mixed methodology we simultaneously used a combination of focus groups and individual interviews with teens, school staff/safeguards, and parents/carers from May-July 2021 immediately following three major UK lockdowns. We conducted 17 focus groups with 65 teens and 29 individual follow-up interviews with this sample in five comprehensive secondary schools across England. The youth focus groups were arranged according to year group and self-identified gender and included two to six participants. Most groups were either all girls or all boys with one mixed gender group aligning to a pre-existing friendship group. Focus groups used arts-based methodologies and began with an ice-breaker activity where participants were asked to write down or draw something positive and negative about social media (including gaming platforms), using templates we provided. Template options included blank display screens of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Yubo, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, and PS5. After 5 to 10 minutes, participants took turns describing to the group what they wrote down. The researchers then used a focus group guide to ask questions, covering topics related to teens’ online experiences of risk and harm during COVID-19, as well as the gendered dynamics of these experiences. Following the focus groups, we provided teens with the opportunity to participate in follow-up individual interviews, where we elicited more detailed accounts of topics discussed in the focus groups. In addition, we conducted a total of 17 interviews with teachers, safeguarding leads and/or school staff in the five research schools. Interviews were designed to inform policy guidance for teachers and education associations on how to improve safety procedures and reporting practices for young people. We also conducted four online focus groups with parents/carers, with a total of nine parents/carers using a convenience sample. They were not parents of children from the schools in our study. Focus groups explored parents/carers’ knowledge and awareness of social media platforms, and the extent to which parents/carers felt equipped to support their children around sexually abusive or threatening online experiences they may have had on these popular platforms. After obtaining informed consent, discussions and interviews with students, teachers, and parents/carers were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. To ensure confidentiality, participants used pseudonyms, and transcripts were anonymized. The study's central aim is to take this data and develop a set of interactive digital resources that provide accessible and tailored advice and information for young people, teachers, and parents, on how to stay safe online during the pandemic and beyond.

Number of pupils on roll in Calderdale Secondary Schools (Academies and Local Authority Maintained Schools); the data source is the termly school census. Academy data is only available from October 2015 onwards. The dataset for Academies and Local Authority Maintained Schools is being published as one dataset from October 2016. May 2020 is missing because this census was cancelled by the government due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other schools data

According to data from September 2020, 1.5 million students all over the world were affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Not only has education been disrupted for the student population, also 630 million primary and secondary school teachers were affected by COVID-19.

Number of pupils eligible for Free School Meals in Calderdale Secondary Schools (Academies and Local Authority Maintained Schools); the data source is the termly school census. Academy data is only available from October 2015 onwards. The dataset for Academies and Local Authority Maintained Schools is being published as one dataset from October 2016. May 2020 is missing because this census was cancelled by the government due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other schools data

Number of pupils with Special Education Needs in Calderdale Secondary Schools (Academies and Local Authority Maintained Schools); the data source is the termly school census. Academy data is only available from October 2015 onwards. The dataset for Academies and Local Authority Maintained Schools is being published as one dataset from October 2016. May 2020 is missing because this census was cancelled by the government due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Also see - Other schools data

DfE Special Educational Needs (SEND) Report on LG Inform - report presents the statistics on SEND available for Calderdale, compared to comparison group of All English metropolitan boroughs.

Almost all sectors of the United Kingdom will see their output shrink considerably in the second quarter of 2020, due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the lockdown measures enforced by the government. Education will be the most affected sector, seeing output decline by 90 percent, while accommodation and food services will shrink by 85 percent. The only sectors which are not forecast to see output losses are agriculture, which is expected to see no change in output, and human health and social activities, which is forecast to increase by 50 percent.

According to a survey conducted among headteachers at schools in England, approximately 83 percent of primary schools, and 94 percent of secondary schools provided, or planned to provide work for pupils via online learning platforms. Although live online lessons were the second most common way for schools to deliver education remotely, they were not as widely used in primary schools, with emailing, phoning or messaging being the second-most common type of provision.

This report contains results from the latest survey of secondary school pupils in England in years 7 to 11 (mostly aged 11 to 15), focusing on smoking, drinking and drug use. It covers a range of topics including prevalence, habits, attitudes, and wellbeing. This survey is usually run every two years, however, due to the impact that the Covid pandemic had on school opening and attendance, it was not possible to run the survey as initially planned in 2020; instead it was delivered in the 2021 school year. In 2021 additional questions were also included relating to the impact of Covid. They covered how pupil's took part in school learning in the last school year (September 2020 to July 2021), and how often pupil's met other people outside of school and home. Results of analysis covering these questions have been presented within parts of the report and associated data tables. It includes this summary report showing key findings, excel tables with more detailed outcomes, technical appendices and a data quality statement. An anonymised record level file of the underlying data on which users can carry out their own analysis will be made available via the UK Data Service later in 2022 (see link below).

The Covid in Cartoons project engaged 15-18 year olds with political cartoons and cartoonists to foster processes of meaning-making in relation to the pandemic. Working with Cartooning for Peace and ShoutOut UK we engaged young people in building critical narratives of the crisis and its impact on their lives. We aimed to promote an inclusive, socially-responsive curriculum that supports young people's ability to cope in difficult circumstances. We used surveys, focus groups, and records of the participants' experiences in the form of workbooks to gather data. The project was led by Dr Fransiska Louwagie (PI) and Dr Diane Levine (Co-I), with postdoctoral associates Dr Kara Blackmore and Dr Sarah Weidman, and ran between January 2021 and July 2022. Covid in Cartoons participants produced many drawings as they progressed through the minicourse, focusing on: i) introducing political cartoons, ii) reflecting on the pandemic through cartoons, iii) heroes, inequalities and human rights, and iv) live drawing with a professional cartoonist.

The transition project at the University of Leeds examined the change in academic language encountered by school students when they transition from primary to secondary school. The project involved focus group interviews with school students spanning 12 months. There were four interview phases: when students were midway through their final year of primary school; just before the end of primary school; early in their first year of secondary school, and midway through the first year of secondary school. Five interviews with six students in each were conducted in the first three phases, and two in the final phase (which was interrupted by school closures due to Covid-19). Students were asked for their feelings about the transition and their views on the academic and language demands of their work at each stage.