Today, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is publishing
interim findings from a study assessing the extent to which Key
Stage 1 pupils’ attainment in reading and maths were impacted by
partial school closures during the first national Covid-19
lockdown, and particularly the effect on disadvantaged pupils.
This paper focuses on the gap in attainment likely caused by
March 2020 school closures (commonly called ‘learning loss’), and
the disadvantage gap for Year 2 children as measured in autumn
2020.
The findings suggest that primary-age pupils have significantly
lower achievement in both reading and maths as a likely result of
missed learning. In addition, there is a large and concerning
attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged
pupils.
This study is one of the first to provide robust insights into
the extent of learning loss that might have occurred as a result
of partial school closures. It is based on data collected by the
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) from
assessments in reading and maths taken in November 2020 by more
than 5,900 Year 2 (6 / 7 year olds) pupils in 168 representative
primary schools. These were compared with tests taken by Year 2
pupils in autumn 2017, also from a representative sample of
schools.
Overall performance in both reading and mathematics in autumn
2020 was found to be significantly lower compared to the 2017
cohort, with pupils, on average, making two months less progress
in both subject areas compared to the standardisation sample.
Worryingly, the study finds that "a very large number of pupils
were unable to engage effectively with the tests".
The study also finds a large and concerning gap between the
attainment of disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils.
For both reading and maths this gap is estimated to be the
equivalent of seven months’ learning. While both calculations
indicate a large gap, the results, expressed in terms of months
of learning, should be interpreted with caution.
The 2017 NFER assessment data did not compare the performance of
disadvantaged pupils with all other pupils. As a result, we do
not know if the gap has grown compared to 2017.
These interim findings are part of an ongoing EEF-funded study.
Further analysis will be carried out in March 2021 and June 2021
to examine whether the gap narrows, widens or remains stable. In
addition to these preliminary findings, NFER is preparing a short
publication for teachers that will include more detailed
commentary on pupils’ responses and suggestions that schools can
act upon.
Last June, the EEF published a rapid evidence assessment, Best
evidence on impact of school closures on the attainment
gap, which found that school closures are likely to
reverse progress made to close the gap in the last decade since
2011.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust
and chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation,
said:
“By the time schools reopen, children and young people will
have faced almost a year of learning disruption. The
repercussions of these months of lost learning are devastating
and will be felt for a lifetime, especially by those from
low-income backgrounds.
“Today’s findings give valuable insight into the challenges
facing schools and teachers. Vast resources need to be targeted
at disadvantaged pupils by raising the pupil premium
significantly and providing funding for tuition.”
Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment
Foundation, said:
“This new research offers compelling evidence of
what we have feared since schools were closed to most pupils in
the first national lockdown – that there will be a large negative
impact on learning, with disadvantaged pupils suffering the most.
Despite the inspiring and tireless work of schools across the
country, this will only be compounded by the current partial
school closures.
“It is vital, therefore, that we draw on the best available
evidence in responding to this national crisis, supporting
teachers and school leaders to get the right support to the
pupils who have missed out most.
“But we should be under no illusions that there are quick
fixes. Schools will need continued and significant support in the
years ahead if we are to avoid a generation of pupils being left
behind.
“This latest research highlights, yet again, the need, to
make tackling educational inequality a national priority.”
Dr Ben Styles, head of the National Foundation for
Educational Research’s Education Trials Unit said:
“There has been lots of speculation about the extent to which
children may have fallen behind and it is valuable to report some
attainment data on this question.
“Measuring gaps in test scores is not much use to teachers
without more diagnostic information concerning where children
have fallen behind and we hope to provide this imminently.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The full report is attached to this email, under embargo.
- Testing was carried out by schools already using NFER’s
tests. The autumn 2020 distribution of standardised scores was
weighted to represent schools in England by a school-level
attainment measure and compared with the 2017 standardisation
sample. Differences in mean standardised score points were
converted into effect sizes and mapped onto months’ progress
using EEF’s standard conversion table.
