Big impact on KS1 reading from pandemic - study

A new report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has found that the impact on reading progress from Covid partial school closures was greatest among Key Stage 1 pupils, especially those in Year 1.

The study, which was focused on pupil attainment rather than wider impacts of the pandemic such as pupil’s wellbeing and mental health, analysed trends across several Covid education impact papers published between June 2020 and February 2022. It found progress stalled for all primary year groups during the pandemic, but the negative impact on reading was greatest among pupils in key stage 1. Pupils then in Year 1 also showed less signs of recovery in attainment between the spring and summer of 2021 than those in other years. That Year 1 cohort has never experienced a school year which wasn’t interrupted by the pandemic. The NFER analysis also suggests that by summer 2021 maths attainment was most severely affected among Key Stage 2 pupils, and maths learning recovery in this age group was much slower than reading for Key Stage 2.

The study also examined the impact of the pandemic on disadvantaged pupils. It found strong evidence of the ‘disadvantage gap’ widening during partial school closures, with the impact of Covid-19 on the progress of disadvantaged children being greater than on the progress of non-disadvantaged pupils. This widening appears to have been greater in maths than in reading in most primary year groups. However, the researchers found no consistent evidence of a further widening of this gap subsequently, suggesting that disadvantaged pupils are recovering at around the same rate as non-disadvantaged pupils. Nonetheless, the report suggests the initial widening of the gap ‘reinforces the need for policy-makers to renew their efforts to address this long-standing feature of the education system and underlines the importance of prioritising this group in the education recovery spending and activity.’

Commenting on the report’s findings, Carole Willis, Chief Executive of the NFER said: ‘It is of real concern that the reading development of the youngest pupils in primary schools has been particularly affected during the pandemic. Early reading plays a key part in children’s later achievement. This is not only the skill of reading but also an engagement with literacy-related activities, such as writing and talking. It also emphasises the urgency of addressing this issue through focused input and adequate resourcing before these children become struggling or reluctant readers.’ She also called for a ‘renewed focus’ on reducing the disadvantage gap.

Also responding to the findings, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders union, said: ‘This report shows the scale of the challenge in helping children recover lost learning during the pandemic. Children in the 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 also suggested the government should be prepared to give schools additional resources to aid educational recovery where they are needed.

Full report: https://tinyurl.com/bdd5b744

 

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