Education Endowment Foundation: Impact of school closures on the attainment gap – Rapid Evidence Assessment

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to school closures across the UK. This means that the majority of pupils in these systems are out of school, though supported and taught in various ways. Nevertheless, it is likely that school closures will lead to slower rates of learning, perhaps learning loss, and there is a risk that the negative impact will be worse for pupils who are economically disadvantaged. 

This rapid evidence assessment examines the existing research for all available estimates of the impact of school closure on the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others, to help inform the potential impact of current school closures due to Covid-19.

Key findings:

• School closures are likely to reverse progress made to narrow the gap in the last decade
• Supporting effective remote learning will mitigate the extent to which the gap widens
• Sustained support will be needed to help disadvantaged pupils catch up

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement, ensuring that children and young people from all backgrounds can fulfil their potential and make the most of their talents.