Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Paragraph: 33
The impact of school closures and the pandemic has resulted in a reversal of the...
Conclusion
The impact of school closures and the pandemic has resulted in a reversal of the progress made in narrowing the attainment gap, with children in the North disproportionately affected. It is also alarming that children and young people in the North, particularly the North-East and Yorkshire and the Humber, have suffered greater learning loss during the last two years compared to many in the South. Nor is it acceptable that such striking variations exist between young people in the North who were able to take up the support offered by the National Tutoring Programme in its first year (59% of schools compared with upwards of 96% schools in the South). We discuss the performance of the NTP and its current provider Randstad in the next Chapter.
Paragraph Reference:
33
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We recognise the need to ensure we understand the full impact Covid-19 has had on children and young people, including establishing the effect on attainment and mental health and wellbeing. This is why we have invested in research into academic progress over the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years with Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute. The latest findings from this research, published 28 March, include data from the first half of the 2021–22 Autumn term, and we launched, via the Research & Insights Marketplace, our invitation to tender for the first tranche of further research on 19 April to cover future terms. Our research with Ipsos Mori in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University and the Centre for Education and Youth is gathering evidence from schools to understand how they have responded to the impacts of the pandemic and what further support they believe they need. In January 2022, we published findings from the first year of research. The full report will be published in early 2023. We also collect and collate various management information, evaluation, and delivery data on a regular basis which informs our recovery work. Our data and research consider the impacts on pupils with particular characteristics including ethnicity, gender, free school meal eligibility, pupils with SEND, Children in Need, as well as considering regional disparities and area- level deprivation.