Over three years have passed since schools and colleges across the country were first shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The students who are now about to enter colleges and sixth forms this autumn were in year 9 at this moment in time. They have spent most of key stage 4 in and out of lockdowns and navigating the fallout of the pandemic on their education.
Every year since 2020, colleges and sixth forms have admitted substantial numbers of young people who have gaps in their knowledge and skills because of what happened during the pandemic. Late last year, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) published a report warning of a widening disadvantage gap among 16- to 19-year-olds. Despite this, the Public Accounts Committee’s recent enquiry into education recovery only examined the ongoing impact in schools. Ignoring the post-16 sector’s vital role in helping young people to catch up on lost learning will do nothing to address the widening attainment gap and risks leaving an entire generation behind.
While the fallout of COVID-19 continues to affect colleges, this part of our education system receives less funding and fewer resources than school-age pupils. Both funding per student and funding to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds nosedive at 16. There is no 16 to 19 Pupil Premium. At present, 16- to 19-year-olds are funded to receive only half the number of timetabled hours as their peers in other leading economies.
