Labour has inherited an education system “beset by inequalities”, a report has warned, after research found poorer pupils are now over 19 months behind their better-off peers by the end of secondary school. found the disadvantage gap for both primary and secondary school pupils has widened since pre-pandemic 2019, and now stands at its largest since at least 2012. The think tank warned the new Labour government had 鈥渋nherited an education system beset by inequalities, with some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people continuing to fall behind their peers鈥. The disadvantage gap had been narrowing before Covid struck, though progress had already started to stall by 2019. The pandemic accelerated that trend, and the disadvantage gap has widened since 2019 in early years, primary and secondary schools. By the end of key stage 2, poorer pupils are 10.3 months behind their better-off peers, an increase of one month since 2019. The gap at the end of key stage 4 is now 19.2 months, 1.1 months larger than in 2019. ‘Adopt evidence-based policies’ EPI chief executive Natalie Perera said: 鈥淚f the new government is to make real progress in tackling these inequalities it must adopt evidence-based policies and interventions with urgency. 鈥淭hese should include higher levels of funding targeted towards disadvantaged pupils and a cross-government child poverty strategy to tackle the root causes of educational inequalities.鈥 Natalie Perera Disadvantaged 16-19 year olds were 3.2 grades behind their peers across their best three subjects in 2023. This is 鈥渟imilar to the level in 2019, but down from 2022, when the gap was 3.5 grades鈥. Among persistently disadvantaged pupils, the gap is now 22.9 months at the end of secondary school and 11.6 months at the end of primary. Attainment gaps have narrowed since 2019 for older pupils with SEND, the report found, but the gap 鈥渉as widened among reception-aged pupils to its widest on record for both children on SEN support and those with EHCPs鈥. Paul Whiteman, of the NAHT leaders’ union, called the disadvantage gap a “national tragedy”. 鈥淭eachers and school leaders work hard to support pupils, but they alone cannot address the deep-rooted causes of poverty, and its consequences, including the damage it does to children鈥檚 learning and their attendance at school.” Attainment and child poverty strategy needed The new government 鈥渟hould publish a strategy setting out how it will address attainment gaps for vulnerable groups鈥, EPI said. This strategy should 鈥渃larify the government鈥檚 level of ambition regarding educational inequalities鈥. Ministers should also 鈥渁ssess the adequacy of disadvantage funding across all phases鈥. In particular, there should be 鈥渉igher levels of funding for the disadvantaged, weighted more heavily towards persistently disadvantaged pupils鈥. They should also introduce a 鈥渟tudent premium鈥 in the 16 to 19 phase. There remains a 鈥減ressing need for a child poverty strategy鈥. This should recognise 鈥渢hat the social determinants of educational inequalities 鈥 such as poverty, housing, healthcare, transport, and many other aspects of daily life 鈥 cannot be addressed by schools in isolation or even any one government department鈥. There also 鈥渞emains a need to provide more effective support for children with SEND, especially for younger children鈥. There is also a need for a 鈥済reater understanding of changes in the types of need identified in recent years, and how support for young people should adapt accordingly鈥.