Disadvantaged pupils suffer 'clear learning loss penalty' during pandemic
Neil Puffett
Monday, June 7, 2021
Children from poorer backgrounds faced a "clear penalty" during the pandemic, falling further behind their more affluent peers in terms of learning, a study has found.
Research conducted by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) on behalf of the Department for Education found that by the first half of the autumn term, in October 2020, average learning losses for disadvantaged pupils - those receiving free school meals - were 4.3 months in maths for pupils in primary school and two months in reading for pupils in primary school.
This compares with average learning losses across all primary pupils at that point of 3.7 months in maths and 1.8 months in reading.
Then, by the second half of the autumn term, in December 2020, average learning losses for disadvantaged pupils recovered to 3.3 months in maths for pupils in primary school and 1.6 in reading. Learning losses for all pupils averaged 2.7 months in maths for pupils in primary school and 1.2 months in reading.
By the second half of the spring term, in March 2021, following the third national lockdown and restrictions to in-person teaching, average learning losses across all primary pupils had then regressed to a similar level at the start of the autumn term, standing at an average loss of 3.5 months in maths and 2.2 months in reading.
EPI findings on losses for disadvantaged pupils in the spring term following restrictions to in-person teaching will be published by the DfE later this year.
The EPI said the analysis provides further evidence that restrictions to in-person teaching following the pandemic have led to a widening of the “disadvantage gap” – the gap in school attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
The organisation states that the relative learning loss for disadvantaged pupils was the equivalent of losing between a third and two-thirds of the progress made over the past decade in closing the disadvantage gap in primary schools. It said that given further restrictions to in-person teaching during 2020/21, it is likely that the gap could grow further.
Jon Andrews, report co-author and head of analysis at the EPI said: “Our data analysis points to a clear penalty faced by disadvantaged pupils during the pandemic – these pupils have seen greater learning losses than their more affluent peers, which risks widening the overall gap in educational attainment.
“There are also significant regional disparities, with regions such as Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and the East Midlands seeing higher levels of learning loss than pupils in London and the South West.
"We need to continue to look at how we can support all pupils through effective catch-up programmes, but especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, whose education has seen the most damage from the pandemic. It’s also important that policies address the large losses seen in certain parts of the country.”
Last week government announced a £1.4bn "catch-up" package to help children affected by lost learning, but it has been branded “inadequate” by organisations supporting disadvantaged young people.
Plans include a £1bn funding boost to support six million 15-hour tuition courses for disadvantaged children as well as an expansion of the 16-19 tuition fund, targeting key subjects such as maths and English, the DfE has said.
A further £400m will be used to improve training and support for early years practitioners and teachers as well as giving some year 13 pupils the opportunity to repeat the year.
The government's own education recovery commissioner for England, Sir Kevan Collins, resigned in protest over the plans, just months after his appointment.