COVID-19 5 years on: tracking student progress post-pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on education worldwide. School closures, remote learning challenges, and the disruption to traditional education have caused many students to fall behind. 

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Primary school children, in particular, experienced significant learning loss, particularly in maths and literacy. 5 years on, and many primary school children still experience significant learning gaps compared to pre-pandemic levels.

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"Despite efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, primary school children remain, on average, 3 to 4 months behind where they would have been academically had the disruption not occurred."

– Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)

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Our own data at Quest Progress indicates a 5% drop in age-standardised scores in English between 2020 and 2023, meaning the effects of these disruptions are still being felt in classrooms today. 

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Why is reliable progress tracking essential for education?

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At Quest Progress, we've seen firsthand the power of reliable progress tracking to help schools identify learning gaps caused by the pandemic. By monitoring pupils' academic development, our platform enables educators to pinpoint areas where students need extra support.

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As schools continue to recover, it’s crucial to measure progress not just against each school’s own performance, but also against a national sample. This insight helps children catch up and thrive by empowering teachers to celebrate their successes. Importantly, they can also identify opportunities for improvement that may not be immediately obvious. 

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We have noticed this mostly clearly with the Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) at our partner schools. They use group-specific analysis to ensure that students with additional learning needs receive the support they need, which is often different from the wider student body. Our data-driven reports help them adjust their teaching strategies, personalise lessons, and implement interventions tailored to each student's unique needs. 

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This approach doesn’t only close learning gaps. By tracking progress via accessible testing, we can boost student confidence as they see measurable improvements in their academic performance. Not a bad result for children who so often feel like they are failing! 

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How can schools drive educational recovery?

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As we continue to recover from the effects of COVID-19, tracking student progress – and actually understanding where the opportunities lie – is more important than ever. 

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Whether you’re a school governor, member of SLT, or classroom teacher, implementing tools that provide real-time data on student performance will always allow you to close learning gaps faster. This will accelerate academic recovery as we jump into the next academic year.

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If you're unsure of how COVID-19 may have impacted your students, we’re here to help. Contact us today to arrange a free round of assessments and to track your students’ progress.

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Start your Quest today.

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Michael is the Head of Schools at Quest Assessment, where he’s on a mission to transform how educators use data in a post-pandemic world. With over a decade of experience in-and-across the education sector, he’s passionate about making data accessible, actionable and therefore powerful – not overpowering.

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Before joining Quest, Michael led the Schools team at Atom Learning, where he flipped the script on his previous work in higher education. His career has spanned everything from supporting universities with global strategy and EdTech adoption to helping schools navigate the ever-evolving demands of modern learning.