The negative impact of Covid lockdowns on reading progress was greatest among key stage 1 pupils and particularly those in Year 1, research published today shows.
The new research, which analysed trends across studies published between June 2020 and February 2022, also reveals that by the summer of 2021 maths attainment was most severely affected among pupils in KS2.
And learning recovery in this age group was much slower for maths than for reading, according to the findings published by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) this morning.
The report also says that the reduction in pupil progress - described in the report as the “Covid gap” - was biggest for younger pupils in spring 2021 in both reading and maths, following the second national lockdown.
Overall, the analysis shows that reading progress for pupils at KS1 - in particular Year 1 - was hardest hit, while in KS2, maths attainment was impacted the most, showing slower recovery than reading.
The NFER says the impact of lockdowns on the development of literacy skills at an early age is of “particular concern”, as “early reading plays a key part in children’s later achievement”.
The impact of Covid school closures on primary pupils
The report also emphasises the need for schools to be adequately resourced in order to reduce the risk of having reluctant readers, and the associated negative impact that this has on “self-esteem and, potentially, behaviour”.
The report says there had been “some signs of recovery” in the Covid gap in the later stages of the 2020-2021 academic year.
However, despite some overall signs of recovery by summer last year, there was still a higher number of pupils with low scores in reading and mathematics than expected.
Between spring and summer 2021, there was evidence of a narrowing in the Covid gap for KS1 maths. But, by last summer, KS2 recovery was greater for reading than mathematics.
The report suggests that it is pupils in year groups 1 and 2 that “are at risk of future educational underachievement”.
It says that the evidence emphasises the “urgency” of tackling the issue, and suggests “focused input” and “adequate resourcing” are needed to make a difference.
The report also suggests that interventions and resources would be best targeted at the development of reading in KS1 and identifying areas of the KS2 maths curriculum with which pupils are struggling.
It also says teachers need to introduce new maths content each year, instead of focusing only on consolidating previous learning.
The report says: “The teaching time lost due to school partial closures will clearly have had a large impact on the amount of time teachers have had available to deliver this new content in mathematics, and it is possible that many teachers focused on consolidating learning in curriculum areas already taught rather than tackling new topics.”
Disadvantaged pupils ‘recovering at same rate as their peers’
The report also suggests that, despite targeted funding and initiatives, disadvantaged pupils were recovering at the same rate as their peers by summer 2021.
The research shows that while the disadvantage gap in education had grown from pre-pandemic levels by autumn 2020 - indicating that the initial lockdown had a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils - there has been no consistent evidence of a further widening of this gap since.
The NFER concludes that there should be a “renewed focus” on reducing the disadvantage gap.
The report states: “In a post-Covid world, hopefully with greater knowledge of effective ‘catch-up’ strategies, urgent attention should return to reducing the inequalities in the education system.”
Carole Willis, chief executive of the NFER, said the effect of the pandemic on reading development, particularly on the youngest pupils, was a “real concern”.
“Early reading plays a key part in children’s later achievement,” she said. “This is not only the skill of reading but also an engagement with literacy-related activities, such as writing and talking.”
Ms Willis said the report showed the urgency of addressing the issue “through focused input and adequate resourcing” before these pupils become “struggling” or “reluctant” readers.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said the report shows the “scale of the challenge”.
He added that pupils in their first few years of school “have undoubtedly been hit particularly hard, as many had their pre-school years severely disrupted”.
“Those years are absolutely vital when it comes to putting in place the building blocks for early reading,” he said.
Schools ‘still suffering’ from Covid disruption
However, Mr Whiteman warned that schools are “still suffering with Covid disruption” alongside “incredibly high levels of Covid-related absence over the winter for both pupils and staff”.
He added that these high levels had “impeded the ability of schools to concentrate on the excellent recovery work they are doing”, and said that the government “must be prepared to give schools additional resources where they are needed”.
Yesterday, new analysis by Juniper Education showed that Year 3 pupils - whose only year of uninterrupted education was in Reception - were struggling with “social aspects of learning”.
Analysis of teacher assessments from more than half a million pupils suggested the pandemic had delayed the educational recovery of pupils in Year 3 more than for older primary pupils.
