Learning loss for disadvantaged pupils has been “consistently greater” than for all pupils since the pandemic, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that lost learning, if left unaddressed, could lead to “increased disadvantage and significant lost earnings” for those affected.
Pupils’ learning loss is generally reducing following school shutdowns due to Covid-19, the NAO said, but disadvantaged pupils in England “remain further behind” the expected level of achievement than their peers.
The gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils has grown since 2019 despite the Government’s efforts to help children catch up with lost learning, according to the report into education recovery in schools.
