Major new research involving hundreds of English primary schools will examine how teachers are supporting pupils “to come back stronger” after lockdown.

The research, commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) charity, will also aim to bring fresh information on how far the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is likely to have widened in the past six months.

Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of the EEF, said: “Covid-19 closures of schools and nurseries have highlighted once again the complex challenges in tackling educational disadvantage, and the extraordinary efforts of educators to respond.

Exclusive: Covid-19 ‘widens achievement gap to a gulf’

Coronavirus: DfE lockdown help for poorer pupils ‘has little impact’

Exclusive: TAs’ worry over missing help for poor pupils

“As ever, our focus is on providing schools with practical evidence they are able to apply in their context and which will have particular benefit for disadvantaged pupils.

“In addition, we are providing practical support through our partnerships with other charities to lead the National Tutoring Programme, as well as training, resources and partnership through our national network of Research Schools.”

The research will take place in three projects, as follows:

• Researchers at FFT Education Datalab which will look at changes in the attainment gap in key stage 2 in 145 primary schools as well as analysing strategies associated with tackling the gap.
• The National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) will look at changes in the attainment gap in KS1 by examining how pupils’ attainment in reading and maths has been impacted by school closures. It will work with158 schools who will provide detailed information on the types of support individual pupils are receiving this year, as well as whole-school strategies such as small-group work, tutoring and parental engagement.
• The University of York along with NIESR (National Institute of Economic and Social Research) and EPI (the Education Policy Institute) will look at the effect of lockdown on school readiness in Reception pupils across England as well as their educational attainment and socio-emotional wellbeing over their first year of education.

In June, the EEF published research that concluded school closures will have reversed a decade’s progress in closing the disadvantage gap.

However, it says that “unprecedented circumstances of Covid-19 mean the evidence base remains limited”.

Professor Francis added: “This new research has two important aims. First, to better understand the extent to which the attainment gap is likely to have widened in the past six months. Secondly, to identify what approaches schools and teachers are taking to support their pupils- and which of these hold the greatest promise for improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for children.”