Research and analysis

Pupils' progress in the 2020 to 2022 academic years

Research reports presenting findings from analysis into the progress pupils made during the 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 academic years.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This research was commissioned by the Department for Education in 2020 to understand the progress pupils made in the 2020 to 2021 academic year and estimate the impact of the disruption to schooling as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on that progress. The research was extended to look at progress in the first half of the autumn term of the 2021 to 2022 academic year.

The findings are based on reading and maths assessments taken in the autumn, spring and summer terms of the 2020 to 2021 academic year, and the first half of the autumn term of the 2021 to 2022 academic year.

The 6 reports available on this page are:

  • interim findings: results from provisional, initial analysis of data from the first autumn half-term 2020
  • complete findings from the autumn term: results from a full, comprehensive analysis of data from the whole autumn term 2020
  • initial findings from the spring term: results from an initial analysis of data from the spring term 2021
  • complete findings from the spring term: results from a full, comprehensive analysis of data from the whole spring term 2021
  • complete findings from the summer term and summary of all previous findings
  • extension report covering the first half of the autumn term 2021

We have added a revised version of ‘Understanding progress in the 2020 to 2021 academic year: findings from the summer term and summary of all previous findings’. This includes a correction to Table 17: Estimated learning loss in secondary reading, in months, for figures 3.5 and 3.8. The text on pages 43 and 47 has changed accordingly to reflect that for secondary pupils in reading, in the academic year 2020 to 2021:

  • by the end of the summer term, the greatest recovery in lost learning was in London
  • children in need pupils and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities appear to have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic
Published 24 February 2021