Schoolchildren across Salford are at different stages of learning as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns, almost two years on.
Children of key workers attended school and were taught in small groups, whereas other children had to learn from home.
Rebecca Platt is a tutor for children in Salford and has noticed the long-term effects of lockdown on her pupils.
She said: “Each individual child’s experience over the last two years has been so different.
“There are some areas in Salford where there is quite a lot of social deprivation, and those students probably won’t have access to private tutors.
“Each child won’t have their own computer to do their at-home learning.”
Facts of the matter
An Ofcom study estimates 9% of children in the UK do not have access to a laptop at home.
Many families had to cope with one laptop between multiple children when learning was remote.
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Ordsall has one of the highest levels of deprivation in the UK.
Carla Macfeely is an organiser at Ordsall Juniors FC, a junior football club that helps deprived children in the area.
Image credit: Katherine Dinsdale
She said: “The divide that was already there has been heightened in terms of areas of deprivation and areas that are maybe a little bit more affluent.
“If you aren’t as well educated it’s really difficult to deliver certain lessons to children.”
Her seven-year-old son Leo added: “When you’re in school it’s easier to understand than when you’re out of school.”
Parent’s Perspective
Shawney Clemence has a five-year-old son who attends the football club.
“He’s struggling to read and write.
“He was trying but he really struggled because obviously, I’m not a teacher.”
Over lockdown, parents had to talk their children through curriculums different from when they grew up.
This means that a lot of children missed out on proper teaching at a key stage in their development.
The long-term impact of lockdown on children’s development will become clearer as more studies are released.
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