GCSE results are likely to show that ”entrenched education inequality has been exacerbated by the pandemic”, an expert has warned, as results are set to be released in England today.
Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), also said that it was “more important than ever” that any attainment gaps are “carefully monitored” in order to provide support to students who need it.
She made the comments today as students across the country are set to receive their GCSE results after exams were sat this year for the first time since the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Last week, A-level results were published in England, with figures showing an expected decrease in the proportion of top A* grades awarded, alongside a fall in the proportion achieving A*-C grades compared with 2021 - when teacher-assessed grades were used.
The A-level figures also revealed that the attainment gap between the North and South had widened since pre-pandemic results.
The gap was revealed after experts warned that students in the areas hit worst by Covid disruption could see the most impact on attainment compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Today, Professor Francis said it was important to remember that GCSE grades “are likely to reflect the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on different groups of pupils”.
She said: “It’s more important than ever that any attainment gaps that open up this year are carefully monitored, so that support can be targeted at those pupils who need it most.
“We expect that this year’s results will show that entrenched education inequality has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds falling further behind their classmates.”
She added that “tackling the attainment gap” was “the biggest challenge” the education system faces.
In October last year, Department for Education research revealed that learning in areas in the North had been most affected by the pandemic.
Furthermore, in November 2020, Tes revealed that adjusting GCSE and A level grades by region in the following year was one of the options being considered by exam boards to mitigate Covid learning loss.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said that students receiving their results today had had their GCSE courses “marred by disruption”.
“The impact of the pandemic has not been felt evenly by everyone - some students and some schools will have experienced more disruption than others. It is important that everyone bears this in mind and takes into account each student’s, and each school’s, particular circumstances.”
He added: “It is now time to reflect and to make changes to our qualification system. The GCSE resit policy forces young people into a round of resits, when an alternative qualification would better meet their needs.
“The absence of non-exam assessment in most subjects, the reliance on terminal exams and the existence of the [English Baccalaureate] performance measure create unnecessary barriers to success.”
Speaking today, Stephen Morgan MP, Labour’s shadow schools minister, said that young people had “worked incredibly hard” but that 12 years of Conservative governments had “left a legacy of unequal outcomes that are holding back kids and holding back communities”.
“As we head into results day, every child should know that they are supported by a government that believes in them and their ability to succeed but sadly, that’s simply not the case. The Conservatives are failing our children.
“Labour is ambitious for every child. We would end tax breaks for private schools and invest in thousands of new teachers, to give every child the brilliant teaching and school experience they need to achieve and thrive.”
The DfE has been contacted for comment.
