National helpline launches to help struggling parents homeschooling children during lockdown

‘Some reassuring input from expert educators will be really valuable to frazzled and frantic parents,’ says Mumsnet boss

With schools closed, parents are having to find the time to home-school their children, adding to financial pressures (PA)

A national helpline has been launched to support parents who are struggling to homeschool their children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Set up by a group comprising academy trusts and parenting groups, the StarLine helpline will be manned by teachers and education specialists.

Those on the end of the phone will be on hand to provide advice and resources to aid parents in teacher their children from home.

Tips on structuring the day and dealing with challenging behaviour will also be available.

Operational six days a week, the phoneline will be completely confidential and cover all curriculum areas and key stages.

“We understand that this is a time of additional pressure for many parents and carers,” said Mufti Hamid Patel, chief executive of Star Academies, which is one of the academy trusts responsible for the helpline.

“The combination of working from home, caring for our loved ones and trying to educate our children is a difficult juggling act.

“Together with our partners, we want to use our educational expertise to support parents and carers who are grappling with the challenge of trying to maintain their children’s learning.”

Justine Roberts, founder and CEO of Mumsnet, added: “Lockdown learning has been a huge adjustment for all families, and for some it’s extremely challenging.

“On our forums we’re seeing thousands of discussions, covering everything from anxiety about the impacts on GCSE and A-level pupils or questions about Key Stage 1 literacy, to worries about children’s socialisation and mental health and frustration about having to make one laptop stretch between three kids.

“There’s no doubt that anxiety and stress are high in the mix, and some reassuring input from expert educators will be really valuable to frazzled and frantic parents.”

Most schools have been closed since 20 March, when the lockdown rules were stepped up. Some have remained open, but only for vulnerable children and the children of key workers, such as NHS staff, so parents can continue to do their jobs during the crisis.