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‘The disadvantage gap has grown - here’s how we fix it’

We need a confident and evidence-driven approach to tackling the widening attainment gap, writes Professor Becky Francis
3rd June 2020, 12:02pm

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‘The disadvantage gap has grown - here’s how we fix it’

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Coronavirus: How To Fix The Disadvantage-related Attainment Gap In Schools After The Covid-19 Closures

It wasÌýby no means plain sailing, but the past decade saw notable gains for disadvantaged pupils’ educational achievement.

Between 2011 and 2019, the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates narrowed in both primary and secondary schools. This progress was testament to theÌýenormousÌýefforts of teachers and school leaders across England, as well as policies such as the pupil premium, which provided funding and focus.

But 2020 has brought with it new and significant challenges for continuing that progress.


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Today the is publishing our analysis of the implications of Covid-19 closures for the attainment gap. WeÌýareÌýprojecting that theÌýattainmentÌýgap will widen significantly, likely reversing the past decade’s progress.

Coronavirus: The impact on disadvantaged pupils

Our analysis - based on a systematic search of literature on school closures - suggests that the gap at the end of primary school could widen by between 11 per centÌýand 75 per centÌýbetween March and September.

This analysis,Ìýof course,Ìýcomes with caveats.

SchoolÌýclosures due to coronavirus are differentÌýin many waysÌýfrom closures over the summer - the focus of almost all of the highest quality studies thatÌýour research looks at. Some of these differences might lead us to be more optimisticÌýabout the impact of closures this year; for example, because of theÌýconsiderableÌýefforts to support home learning undertaken by schoolsÌýand parents.ÌýÌý

The true cost of missed learning

However, other differences might imply thatÌýour projections are conservative, particularly whenÌýwe focus on the gap. Surveys of teachers and parents by the Sutton Trust and the Institute for Fiscal StudiesÌýhave highlighted that those from poorer backgrounds appear to be missing out most.ÌýDisadvantaged pupilsÌýare less likely to have good online access, theyÌýspendÌýlessÌýtime on home learning,Ìýand they are less likely to haveÌýsufficient resources at homeÌýor parents who can assist them in their school work.Ìý

Taken together, the prior literature on school closures and theÌýgrowingÌýevidence about the experience ofÌýsocially disadvantagedÌýfamilies during lockdown conveys a clear message:ÌýforÌýthe attainment gap,Ìýthe 2020s could not have got off to a worse start.Ìý

But there is another - positive - caveat to insert. Whatever the impact that school closures have had on widening the attainment gap, and whatever the adversity experienced by each child, what matters now is how we respond.

ToÌýhave a chance of succeeding, ourÌýreactionÌýmustÌýbe collaborative,Ìýintelligent and sustained.Ìý

1. CollaborativeÌý

The responsibility for Covid catch-up cannot fall on teachers and school leaders alone. We must respond as a system and a society, usingÌýevery available resource.ÌýÌý

Today, alongside our gap projections, the EEFÌýisÌýlaunching a programme of online tuition pilots, developed in partnership with three other charities: Impetus, Nesta and the Sutton Trust.Ìý

Extensive evidence from the EEF ToolkitÌýsuggests that tuition is a particularly promising catch-up strategy and the pilots aim to identify whether -ÌýwhenÌýguided by teachers - tutors can help disadvantaged children to learn at home.Ìý

TheÌýinitiative willÌýsupportÌýsome 1,600 pupils over the coming weeks,Ìýfocused, in particular, onÌýchildren who will not return to school until the autumn.Ìý

2. IntelligentÌý

OneÌýacuteÌýrisk relates to the educational impact of pupil absenceÌýonce schools reopen for more children. School closures so far have almost certainly widened the gap. But there is a danger that the situation will getÌýmuch worse if children from disadvantaged families returnÌýto school more slowlyÌýthan their peers, which the Institute for Fiscal StudiesÌýhasÌýindicatedÌýis likelyÌýandÌýasÌýhas happened in some other European countries that haveÌýalreadyÌýreopened schools.ÌýÌý

This is not an argument for reopeningÌýschoolsÌýmore quickly but an argument for reopening in a way thatÌýmeans as many families as possible send their children back.ÌýThe most damagingÌýscenario would be one in which support for remote learning is removed, withÌýsomeÌýchildren still at home.Ìý

3. SustainedÌý

Compensating for the negative impact of school closures on the gap will require a sustained response.ÌýCalls forÌýimmediateÌýaction, from summer schools to extended hours in the autumn term,ÌýareÌýclearly well-motivated,Ìýand some of these strategies may help. But it is highly unlikely that a single approach will be enough.

CoronavirusÌýwill have affected every family and school in different ways, andÌýthe strains of lockdown will have created new barriers to learning for both teachers and children. ThisÌýreinforcesÌýthe need to act with intelligence and in partnership, drawing on all of our system’s strengths.

Ìý

In time, it might be possible to identify positive consequences of the coronavirus crisis for schools.ÌýThe extraordinary ways in whichÌýteachers haveÌýsupportedÌýchildrenÌýand familiesÌýat homeÌýhave been deeply impressive.ÌýOur research could hardly show the importance of schoolsÌýmore clearly.Ìý

But for now, it is unhelpful to downplay the challenge that we face. The educational impact of school closuresÌýisÌýlikely to be severe. What mattersÌýmostÌýnow is that we are confident, concerted and evidence-driven in our approach to helping every pupil bounce back.

Professor Becky Francis isÌýCEO of the Education Endowment Foundation

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