Thread by @TheIFS

NEW: Home learning improved substantially over the course of the pandemic – but this still leaves huge learning inequalities from the first lockdown baked in.

Read our new @NuffieldFound funded report on learning inequalities > ifs.org.uk/publications/1…

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Secondary school students’ learning time rose from 22 hours per week in the first lockdown to 29 hours in the second school closures.

Despite these improvements, 40% of children still did not meet the government’s minimum guidelines for learning time.

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In Autumn 2020, only 40% of pupils were offered interactive resources like online classes for self-isolating.

Support was worse for poorer pupils; 43% of secondary school pupils from the richest families were offered online classes, compared to 35% of poorer pupils.

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Home learning inequalities improved from the first to the second lockdown.

During the first lockdown, children from the poorest 20% of families did nearly 8 fewer hours of learning a week than the richest 20%.

By Feb/Mar 2021, their learning hours were roughly the same.

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But with a quarter of parents believing that it will take their child at least a year to catch up, schools and teachers will face big challenges this year.

Catch-up programmes need to ensure the pupils who most need the support can access it.

ifs.org.uk/publications/1…

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