According to analysis by the EPI (Education Policy Institute) which looked at the pupil performance across the board after the Covid pandemic; children from the lowest income families are now up to 19 months behind their peers by the time they turn 16-year-olds.
Within these statistics, 15% of primary children have missed at least one in ten days of school in England; this is an increase of 8% since before Covid.
The gap of attainment before Covid between the poorest students and others had closed significantly, however this new report suggests it is now getting worse using 2024 GCSE results across the country.
It is hard to believe that it has been half a decade since the UK went into lockdown, and some students are struggling worse than ever.
What can be done to ensure that students are not missing school? Is this down to the parents/school/government to do something? Could funding help?