The gap in educational attainment between pupils from disadvantaged families and their peers is closing quicker in maths than in reading following the pandemic, new research finds.
Year 3 and 4 pupils eligible for free school meals were each estimated to be around seven months behind their more well-off peers for reading in spring this year, representing a wider gap than that reported before the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the disadvantage gaps for maths in spring this year across Year 3 and Year 4 pupils were estimated to be around six months - significantly lower than in spring 2021 but wider than gaps reported before the pandemic.
In reading and maths, across both Years 3 and 4, the Covid gap significantly reduced compared with levels seen in spring 2021 and spring 2022, researchers find.
