School closures parent poll — January 2021

School closures for face-to-face learning

• One third of parents told us that they feel schools should be open to their child for face-to-face learning this term. 
• Two thirds of parents told us they believe schools either shouldn’t be open to their child (57%) or are unsure (10%).
• Two thirds of secondary school parents told us that schools should be closed to their child for face-to-face learning compared with just over half (52%) of primary school parents. 
• 46% of independent school parents believe schools should be closed compared to 58% of parents with a child at a state school. 

Remote learning support for parents

• 69% of parents told us that the level of support they have been given by their child’s school to assist their child’s learning at home was either very good (41%) or good (28%).
• Independent school parents are more likely to rate the level of support received more positively.
• Parents of a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are less positive about the support they’ve been offered from their child’s school compared to parents of children without SEND. 

Impact of remote learning on parents

• More than a third (38%) of parents told us they are able to work from home, but find supporting their child’s learning at home at the same time challenging. 
• Secondary school parents told us they are more likely to be at home with time to support their child’s learning than primary school parents (36% vs. 26%). 
• 30% of parents told us they are able to be at home with time to support their child’s learning. 
• 8% of parents told us they are unable to work when their child is not in school. 
• 10% of primary school parents told us they are unable to work when their child is not in school compared with 4% of secondary school parents. 
• Parents with a child with SEND are less likely to say they can work from home, but that it’s challenging to support their child’s learning at the same time than parents with a child without SEND (25% SEND vs. 40% not SEND).

Parents’ concerns due to school closures 

• Parents told us that their biggest concerns around schools being closed are: their child not seeing their friends and socialising (49%), their child’s mental health and well-being (45%), their child falling behind in their education (30%) and their child missing out on face to face learning from teachers (29%)
• Parents told us that they are less concerned about their lack of confidence in supporting their child’s learning at home (6%), their employer’s flexibility around their working arrangements (5%) and their finances from not being able to work (3%).
• 10% of parents told that they don’t have any concerns associated with schools being physically closed to their child. 
• 23% of secondary school parents told us their child’s anxiety due to the uncertainty about alternative arrangements for public exams is a big concern compared with 1% of primary school parents. 
• Independent school parents are more concerned about their children not seeing friends and socialising (67% vs. 48% of state school parents) and the impact on their child’s mental health and well-bring (57% vs. 45% of state school parents). 
• Parents of children with SEND are more concerned about their child’s mental health and well-being (53% with SEND vs. 44% not SEND). 

Covid-19 testing in schools

• 49% of parents told us they either strongly agree (15%) or tend to agree (34%) with the statement ​‘I feel reassured that the introduction of Covid-19 testing in all schools would make it safer for my child to attend school’.
• 37% of parents told us they tend to disagree (19%) or strongly disagree (18%) with the statement. 
• Independent school parents have stronger opinions than those at state schools (23% independent strongly agree vs. 15% state school and 24% independent strongly disagree vs. 17% state school). 
• Parents of a child with SEND are less reassured than those without (42% with SEND disagree vs. 36% of those without SEND).

Parents’ level of concern compared to March 2020

• 48% of parents told us they are more worried now about the impact of the pandemic on their child’s education compared to back in March 2020. 
• 50% of parents told us they have the same level of worry (28%) or less worry (22%) than they did last March. 
• Secondary school parents are more likely to be more worried now compared to primary school parents (52% secondary school parents vs. 46% primary school parents) 
• Independent school parents are more likely to be more worried now compared to state school parents (63% of independent school parents vs. 47% state school parents). 

Reopening schools decision 

• A third of parents told us they feel the decision to reopen schools for face-to-face teaching should be made by school leaders and teachers. This is particularly the case for parents of children with SEND (39% said so).
• 51% of parents told us they feel the decision to reopen schools for face-to-face teaching should be made by government (29%) or local government (22%).
• A majority of the 11% of parents selecting ​‘other’ told us they feel it should be a joint decision between two or more of the above plus, in some cases, scientific advisers too.