A new report by the Education Policy Institute, in partnership
with Renaissance, shows that the pandemic is still having an
adverse effect on pupils’ learning. This new analysis uses
Renaissance’s Star Reading and Star Maths Assessments to create
the largest sample size of its kind available in the country. It
shows that:
- Mathematics outcomes for primary
aged pupils remain below pre-pandemic levels - amounting to just
under 1.5 months’ worth of learning by the end of the autumn
term. Outcomes for younger year groups are even further behind
pre-pandemic norms.
- More positively, average outcomes
in reading have largely been recovered in primary schools, this
is consistent with results from national assessments last
summer.
- The gap in reading outcomes between
primaries with the highest levels of socioeconomic disadvantage
and those with the lowest is still around 6 per cent wider than
at the start of the pandemic. This suggests that pupils in
disadvantaged areas have suffered bigger adverse learning effects
than those in more affluent areas.
This report forms the first in a series of reports by the
Education Policy Institute and Renaissance over the coming
year. These findings provide new evidence on the
impact of the pandemic on pupils’ school attainment.
Later reports will provide further detailed estimates of learning
loss and recovery, including regional breakdowns, with the aim of
enhancing policymakers’ and educators’ understanding of the
impacts on pupils over recent years, so that future support can
be targeted where it is most needed.
Available for interview and further comment on this new report
into post-pandemic learning loss are Jon Andrews
(Head of Analysis at the Education Policy Institute and report
author) and Joan Mill (International Managing
Director at Renaissance Learning).
Comment
Jon Andrews, Head of Analysis at the Education Policy
Institute, said: “For many children, their time in
education has been hugely damaged by the disruption of the
Covid-19 pandemic. Schools have been working hard to mitigate the
effects of the pandemic, but it is clear that those effects are
still being felt, particularly in maths and for children in more
disadvantaged areas.
“The Prime Minister has set out a bold ambition for all young
people to study maths up to age 18. There are many obstacles to
meeting that ambition, and this analysis highlights that among
them is the fact that younger children have fallen behind in
their maths as a result of the pandemic. There is a risk that
government focus on education recovery is waning, and this
analysis is a wake-up call that there is still much work to be
done”.
Joan Mill, Group Managing Director of Renaissance
International said: “We know how much is being done
by teachers on education recovery and supporting all pupils
through effective in-school interventions will remain critical in
the months and years ahead.
“This analysis, made possible through robust data from the
millions of Star Assessments administered annually, shows that
while maths outcomes remain a cause for concern, it is equally
important that reading recovery is maintained. That is why
Renaissance is also supporting teachers and leaders with
additional resources and personalised practice to help accelerate
learning for all students.”
In response to pandemic learning loss, Renaissance has developed
Focus Skills - free workbooks with extensive research based on
how learning progresses in reading and mathematics. Focus Skills
provide a roadmap for closing learning gaps by helping teachers
focus on the reading and maths skills that matter most.
Martin Kelsey, Executive Headteacher of The Raglan
Schools said: “After two years without SATs
testing due to the pandemic, we were nervous about the 2022
results, particularly in maths, so we explored how education
technology could support our learning and assessment needs.
“Renaissance solutions including Freckle and Star Maths
transformed our approach to teaching and assessing the subject.
It helps us monitor if pupils are on track and develop tailored
learning plans to tackle any maths learning gaps. Our latest
successful SATs results speak volumes – we achieved 89% of
children meeting the minimum requirement for Reading and 91% in
Maths.”
