Four in 10 pupils across the country are still not receiving the same number of teaching hours as they did before the pandemic hit, according to a new study

The London School of Economic research conducted in late September/early October, found that just under six in ten (59 percent) of pupils were benefitting from full schooling.

Bt the rest are still not receiving the same number of teaching hours as they did before the pandemic hit

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The study also highlights the growing educational disparities between privileged students and those from poorer backgrounds.  

According to the research, being featured on BBC TV’s Panorama tonight, about 2.5 million children across the UK received no schooling or tutoring at all during lockdown.

Roberta, 16, from Harris Westminster Sixth Form told the programme: “During those six months it was just no education at all. I didn’t really get any support from my old school regarding my education. It’s been quite … a little bit stressful so far.

“I always had a dream of going to A levels prepared, focused and ready. That break of six months did so much damage.

“I think coming into this school, I didn’t realise the disparity would be this big in the classroom. There are people that don’t know anything and people that know almost the whole content.”

It research found that during lockdown nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of private school pupils were benefitting from full days of teaching during lockdown, compared with just 38 per cent of pupils from state schools.

Private school pupils were also five times more likely than state school pupils to have had at least four online lessons a day.

They were also four times more likely to have spent more than five hours a day on schoolwork.

The Department for Education said it was giving every school more money, with £58 million already provided to help schools with the extra costs of the Covid-19 pandemic.