About the author

The use of the ONS statistical data in this work does not imply the endorsement of the ONS in relation to the interpretation or analysis of the statistical data. [...] The assessments draw on banks of just over 4,000 items in each of reading and mathematics.3 Over the course of 2023, Renaissance provided the Education Policy Institute and the Department for Education (DfE) with data comprising assessments undertaken in England between the start of the 2017/18 of the academic year and the end of the summer term of 2022/23.4 The Department for Education then carri. [...] Prior to the pandemic, the difference between the highest performing group (Chinese) and lowest performing group (Other) was equivalent to 14.9 months of learning in primary reading, and 23.2 months of learning in secondary reading. [...] This may be a reflection of the relatively small number of pupils in each year (in other words, the results may be down to the specific pupils taking the assessments in each year rather than a reflection of the group as a whole). [...] These ranged from 0.02 standard deviations (equivalent to 0.5 months of learning) in the East Midlands, the South East and the South West, to 0.06 standard deviations (equivalent to 1.4 months) in the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.