- FURTHER RESEARCH CONFIRMS YOUNG PUPILS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN
READING AND MATHS REMAINS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER, AND THE
DISADVANTAGED GAP REMAINS WIDER, THAN WOULD BE EXPECTED IN NORMAL
TIMES
-
EEF PUBLISHES NEW NFER RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF THE
PANDEMIC ON KEY STAGE 1 PUPILS’ ATTAINMENT
Today the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published
further findings from an ongoing study, by the National
Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), examining the impact
of Covid-19 related disruption on the attainment of Key Stage 1
pupils.
NFER’s analysis suggests Year 2 children still have significantly
lower achievement in both reading and maths, and that the
disadvantage gap remains wider than expected.
The study used data from reading and maths assessments taken by
more than 10,000 Key Stage 1 pupils (5-7 year olds) from 156
representative schools in the spring term of 2021. Their
attainment was compared with that of a representative sample of
Year 1 and 2 children in spring 2019.
The first set of findings
from this study, based on assessments taken by Year 2 pupils
in autumn 2020, was published in January 2021. Today’s study
looks at pupils’ attainment after the second period of partial
school closures in 2021. NFER will be conducting further analysis
of any changes over the course of the academic year –
particularly how individual children have fared – but these
interim findings suggest that some children (especially those
from disadvantaged backgrounds) may have fallen further behind
since the autumn term.
Year 1 pupils made on average three months’ less progress for
both reading and mathematics compared with the cohort of spring
2019. Year 2 pupils made three months’ less progress for reading
compared with the cohort of spring 2019, and around two months’
less progress for mathematics.
The report also shows there is a substantial attainment gap
between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. In Year 1,
there is a gap of around seven months for both reading and
mathematics.
In Year 2, the findings indicate that the disadvantage gap is
around seven months for reading and eight months for mathematics.
The gap is wider in both subjects for this year group compared to
2019, when it was estimated to be six months’ progress.
Diagnostic information from the assessments that has been
published alongside the report provides a more detailed breakdown
of the curriculum areas. Pupils’ vocabulary appears to be a
relative strength and their aural comprehension was the area
least affected. Certain areas of the mathematics curriculum
appear to be secure, such as measures, addition and subtraction,
and pupils generally performed very well when asked questions in
a standard way, although they did find unconventional formats
more challenging.
This analysis suggests that, broadly, the areas that children in
both year groups found difficult were the same as those the 2019
cohort struggled with, such as making inferences from complex
texts and fraction questions.
Full analysis of the 2020 cohort’s progress and attainment this
academic year will be carried out prior to the publication of a
final report expected in December. This will also include
findings from a final data sweep conducted during the summer
term.
Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment
Foundation, said:
“Whilst these findings are concerning, each
new piece of research can help us to better understand the scale
of the challenge facing our teachers.
“Important work is already being done in schools to ensure
that children’s progress is brought back on track and their
wellbeing is restored in the wake of the pandemic.
“However, schools need ongoing access to resources which will
allow them to perform at their best, and to ensure that pupils
surpass “recovery” to achieve the full extent of their
potential.”
Dr Ben Styles, head of the National Foundation for
Educational Research’s Education Trials Unit said:
“The last few months have been hugely difficult for teachers,
school leaders, parents and pupils.
“We hope this study – both the attainment analysis and the
diagnostics – offers valuable information to teachers as they
continue to help pupils recover from missed learning and support
their overall wellbeing.
“It reinforces the importance of a sustained and
properly-funded focus on activities to enable children to recover
the learning they have missed.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Testing was carried out by schools already using NFER’s
tests. The spring 2021 distribution of standardised scores was
weighted to represent schools in England by a school-level
attainment measure and compared with the 2019 standardisation
sample. Differences in mean standardised score points were
converted into effect sizes and mapped onto months’ progress
using EEF’s standard conversion table.
