POORER pupils are struggling more than their better-off peers during school closures, a new report on the challenges faced by teachers and parents reveals. 

Research by the Sutton Trust published today found that 40 per cent of children in middle-class households are undertaking over five hours of learning from home a day compared with just 26 per cent of those in working-class households.

The gap of providing online learning between the independent and state sectors has widened, with 86 per cent of teachers in private schools now using online live lessons, compared with 50 per cent in state schools.

Schools are now better prepared to deliver online learning but, while 87 per cent of high-income households report having sufficient devices for online learning, just 59 per cent of the poorest households say the same, the research found.

The barriers are already reflecting in the quality of work that teachers are receiving back from their pupils: about 50 per cent of teachers at state schools reported a lower standard compared with less than 30 per cent at private schools.

Poorer parents are also struggling more to support their children at home, with 28 per cent of those on low incomes saying they are finding the school closures difficult compared with just 15 per cent of those on the highest incomes.

National Education Union joint general secretary Mary Bousted said that schools and colleges need investment “on a scale that could ensure no child is left behind after the pandemic.”

She said: “This study shows teachers are citing a faster roll-out of laptops as the single most helpful intervention for disadvantaged students, and teachers have been saying this since the summer. 

“There is no excuse for why the government roll-out has been so slow and inefficient.”