Furthermore, headteachers continue to be worried about the wellbeing and behaviour of their pupils post-pandemic.
The findings have been published in the latest in a series of reports from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) tracking the impact of the pandemic on younger pupils’ reading and maths.
The study urges adequate resources for schools to continue their work to close the gaps caused by Covid and says that the focus must be on “very low attaining pupils and closing the disadvantage gap”.
Funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, the research follows 6,157 pupils in 82 schools who were in reception and year 1 (aged 4 to 6) in March 2020 when Covid hit.
The latest study checked-in with these pupils during the spring term this year – they are now in years 3 and 4.
The study tracks the so-called “Covid gap” – the difference between the mean scores of the pupils being tracked and those of pre-pandemic samples.
It reveals that: “Overall, the Covid-19 gap appears to have closed for year 3 and 4 pupils on average in both reading and mathematics.”
However, the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers remains wide.
In spring 2023, the study says that there was “no significant difference” in year 3 pupils’ reading and year 4 pupils’ maths performance (compared to the pre-pandemic samples).
And for reading and maths in both years 3 and 4 the Covid gap “significantly reduced” compared with spring 2021 and spring 2022.
However, the analysis shows a notable proportion of very low attaining pupils in year 3 reading, larger than seen before the pandemic (4.9% compared with 2.5%).
The study issues specific advice to schools on this point: “This cohort of pupils would have been in reception during the first school closures, and the proportion of very low attainers is nearly twice as high as the pre-pandemic sample.
“Interestingly, we know from our school survey this year that teachers paid particular attention to providing additional support for lower attaining pupils, but even more so in mathematics than in reading. In the coming year, schools may want to increase their focus on reading support, and especially in schools in disadvantaged areas that are more likely to have higher proportions of lower performing pupils.”
Meanwhile, the disadvantage gap between free school meals children and their peers is shrinking but it remains wider than pre-pandemic.
Year 3 and 4 pupils eligible for free school meals were each estimated to be around seven months behind their better off peers for reading in spring 2023. These gaps have not decreased since 2021 and remain wider than gaps reported before the pandemic.
And the disadvantage gaps for maths in spring 2023 for each of year 3 and 4 were estimated to be around six months – significantly reduced since 2021 but again still wider than pre-pandemic gaps.
The report states: “Schools in our study were focusing additional support, including tutoring via the National Tutoring Programme, on disadvantaged pupils; but it is clear that disadvantaged pupils have been worse affected by the disruption caused by the pandemic, suggesting that continued targeted approaches are needed in order to close this gap.”
Elsewhere, schools in the study reported that support for pupils’ wellbeing is still a priority, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
Schools say they have continued with strategies developed during the pandemic, including increased wellbeing support and provision for home learning.
The report states: “As was the case in the 2021/22 study, we found that headteachers continue to be concerned for the wellbeing of pupils. This remained an area of increased focus for schools with the majority reporting that they had implemented small group wellbeing sessions as well as additional PSHE education sessions for pupils.
“Pupil behaviour and their wellbeing was identified as the challenge faced by the greatest number of schools.”
Three-quarters of the schools in the study reported that they were prioritising learning recovery support for their disadvantaged pupils, but there were concerns about the level of funding to support pupils who had missed learning.
The report urges policy-makers to pay attention: “Our evidence suggests that catch-up support seems to be having an effect on pupils, but that the focus should be on very low-attaining pupils and closing the disadvantage gap. It is essential that schools are both adequately funded and supported, including on issues wider than academic learning, to ensure that the required long-term support can be delivered.”
It adds: “While there are some encouraging signs of recovery, there are still groups of pupils where the disruption to their learning continues to impact on their attainment.
“Despite the signs of recovery, it is not yet clear if these are embedded trends, or how long catch-up support may be needed for, for recovery to be sustained. This year’s findings (in 2023) all highlight the importance of continuing to track the pupils involved in this study so that interventions and resources based on the learning they have missed can be appropriately targeted as they continue to move through school.”
Dr Ben Styles, head of classroom practice and workforce, at the NFER said: “It is encouraging that three years on from the first school closures, there are real signs of improvement in both the reading and maths performance of year 3 and 4 pupils. Schools have been working tirelessly following the pandemic to put strategies in place to support pupils’ learning recovery.
“Our evidence suggests there should be a greater focus on very low attaining pupils and closing the disadvantage gap. It is essential that schools are both adequately funded and supported to do so using evidence-based approaches. This will be required over the long term.”
- Rose et al: Impact of school closures in key stage 1 on attainment and social skills of pupils in year 3 and year 4 in academic year 2022/2023, EEF & NFER, 2023: www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/impact-of-covid-19-related-school-closures-in-key-stage-1-on-attainment-and-social-skills-of-pupils-in-year-3-and-year-4-in-academic-year-20222023