It seems inevitable that the coronavirus national crisis will further widen the attainment gap between rich and poor, says Susannah Hardyman

The coronavirus crisis has caused a seismic shift in education, with schools nationwide closing their doors to all but the children of key workers and our most vulnerable pupils, while grappling to implement online solutions in a bid to give some semblance of effective teaching and learning for pupils.

The shift has also prompted unprecedented demand from affluent parents for private tutoring – an industry with an annual income of more than £2 billion. With online support, these parents are keen to shield their children from spring and summer learning loss.

But what about the around 28 per cent of pupils in state education deemed as disadvantaged – those eligible for the Pupil Premium. Many of these will be pupils who may not have access to high bandwidth broadband to facilitate remote learning, or space to work easily in cramped accommodation?

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