During the Covid-19 pandemic, the very youngest pupils in schools had their schooling and social interactions in the classroom disrupted by lengthy periods of partial school closures and remote learning. Since then, schools have worked tirelessly to support their learning recovery.
To understand the long-term impact of the pandemic on these children's learning and social skills, NFER is leading a unique longitudinal study following over 6,000 pupils as they progress through primary school.
Below you will find a summary of the most recent findings from this study, which were captured in spring 2023 when the pupils were in Years 3 and 4.
Latest research from the third year of the study (2022/23)
Summary for schools: Impact of Key Stage 1 school closures on later attainment and social skills (2022/23)
Full report: Impact of Key Stage 1 school closures on later attainment and social skills (2022/23)
Research from the second year of the study (2021/22)
Summary for schools: Impact of Key Stage 1 school closures on later attainment and social skills (2021/22)
Full report: Impact of Key Stage 1 school closures on subsequent attainment and social skills (2021/22)
Research from the first year of the study (2020/21)
