Catching up: The ongoing struggle in post-pandemic education

It’s been a turbulent few years in education, with the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic still impacting student performance across the UK. A recent report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) and Renaissance offers new insights, drawn from over six million assessments. These findings from students in years 3 to 9 reveal both strides and setbacks in our current educational landscape

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Education Policy Institute

Building on previous analysis from EPI and Renaissance showing outcomes before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic, this new report finds that:

• Results in secondary maths are lower than they were before the pandemic (equivalent to lost learning of over four months), but the disadvantage gap appears to have narrowed (from 17.7 to 15.9 months).
• Results in primary maths are lower than they were before the pandemic (equivalent to lost learning of two months), and the disadvantage gap has widened (from 6.9 to 8.7 months).
• Results in secondary reading are slightly lower than before the pandemic (equivalent to lost learning of 0.4 months), and the disadvantage gap has widened (from 18.8 to 21.2 months).
• Results in primary reading are slightly higher than before the pandemic (equivalent to an additional half a month of learning), but the disadvantage gap has widened (from 10.8 to 12.7 months).
• The proportion of primary-aged pupils classified as persistently disadvantaged increased from 8.9 per cent before the pandemic, to 13.3 per cent in 2022/23. The proportion of secondary- aged pupils classified as persistently disadvantaged increased from 9.1 per cent before the pandemic to 10.6 per cent in 2022/23.
• In primary reading, the attainment gap between non-disadvantaged pupils and persistently disadvantaged pupils was nearly double that between non-disadvantaged pupils and low persistence disadvantage (14.6 months for persistently disadvantaged pupils compared with 8.4 months, for low persistence disadvantaged pupils).
• In primary mathematics, the disadvantage gap for persistently disadvantaged pupils was again nearly double that for low persistence disadvantage (10.1 months for persistently disadvantaged pupils compared with 5.3 months, for low persistence disadvantaged pupils).

This data underscores the critical need for targeted interventions and continued support to bridge these widening gaps. As we move beyond the immediate crisis of the pandemic, our focus must shift towards sustainable recovery strategies that not only address lost learning but also tackle the underlying inequities exacerbated by the global health crisis.

For more detailed analysis and specific recommendations, you can view the full report here.