Motivation is a challenge for remote learning children, says Ofsted

Pupil engagement and motivation is a significant challenge for schools and parents during the latest school lockdown, according to a report from Ofsted.

Although remote education was helping to plug the learning gap during the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping pupils on track was proving difficult. Nearly half of parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey said that keeping their child focused on studying was a top concern, along with motivation and having enough contact with teachers. This was echoed by school leaders, who said that better ways needed to be found for learners and teachers to interact.

Ofsted’s study on remote education explored the challenges schools, teachers and other providers face in meeting expectations, and looked at the solutions being found to ensure effective learning continues away from the classroom. Ofsted commissioned surveys of parents’ and teachers’ views about how their children were faring while learning remotely.

The report found that a high proportion of schools in England felt they were doing well at mitigating learning loss through remote education, with three-fifths of teachers saying they were confident of providing a high-quality education when this was needed. However, schools were at different stages of development, and there was wide variability in the remote learning being offered.

Most school leaders said they were focussed on teaching what they felt children should be learning, rather than the technology. Some heads said they expected teachers to deliver lessons as they would in person, with questions and feedback.

Furthermore, many heads did not see remote education as a barrier to curriculum delivery and believed that learning opportunities, levels of pupil engagement and expectations should be the same regardless.

However, concerns remained about children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their engagement with remote education. Nearly two thirds of parents of a child with SEND said they had disengaged with remote learning, compared with almost 40% of parents of children without additional needs. While some special schools adapted their remote education to support SEND pupils, such as supplying assisted reading technology, more work needed to be done to engage children with SEND, the report said.

School leaders who participated in the research did not always regard remote provision as an entirely temporary measure. The report highlighted the potential benefits of remote learning in the long term, such as providing teaching for snow days or extended periods of illness or absence, to minimise learning loss.

Amanda Spielman, the Chief Inspector of Schools, said: “While remote education will help to mitigate the learning lost when children are out of the classroom, it’s clear that issues with pupils’ motivation and engagement remain. These, along with the pressure remote learning places on teachers and parents, are proving real barriers to children’s learning and development.

“Despite the challenges, I am impressed by the flexibility and innovation shown by teachers and leaders involved in our research. I hope these insights will be valuable to schools that are still developing their own remote education offer.”