Sam Tuckett, Associate Director at the Education Policy Institute, said: “As feared, the return to exams in 2022 confirmed that disadvantage gaps in the 16-19 phase of education have widened over the course of the pandemic. Previous EPI research revealed the pandemic to have exacerbated inequalities within the education system, yet it’s extremely concerning that the 16-19 disadvantage gap now stands at its widest since the first publication of official measures. This reinforces the need for additional targeted support for disadvantaged young people, in the form of a student premium for the 16-19 phase.
“This widening of the attainment gap was much more pronounced for applied general qualifications, which increased in popularity over this period. Disadvantaged students are less likely to enter A levels, so looking just at differences within qualification type is likely to mask the true extent to which disadvantaged students have fallen behind. The government must do more to support these young people, whatever qualifications they choose to pursue.”
You can find the Department for Education’s release of data on A level and other 16 to 18 results here.
