Government urged to expand tailored support for vulnerable pupils

By Nuffield Foundation

Vulnerable pupils should receive tailored support to encourage them to re-engage with learning after COVID-19 school closures, according to a new Nuffield-funded report published today by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).

In-school attendance for vulnerable pupils has been low during the COVID-19 pandemic, with those not attending less engaged in remote provision than their classmates. The report also highlights the significant role that schools have played in ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable pupils, although raises concerns about the sustainability of this as schools open more widely.

The research is based on a survey of 3,054 senior leaders and teachers in mainstream schools in England, conducted between 7-17 May.

Key findings include:

  • During the last week of April, almost half (44%) of senior leaders reported that under ten children attended the school in person for at least one day. With low levels of attendance for in-school provision, senior leaders report that their schools are providing support to vulnerable pupils learning remotely through regular checking in and communication (96%).
  • Three in every five teachers report that vulnerable pupils are less engaged than their classmates. Senior leaders (57%) and teachers (75%) report a lack of pupil engagement in learning as one of their main challenges in supporting vulnerable pupils who are not attending school. Senior leaders in secondary schools were one and a half times more likely to report challenges engaging vulnerable pupils who are not attending school in learning, compared to leaders in primary schools.
  • Three-quarters of senior leaders report that their schools are offering ‘social or welfare’ support to vulnerable pupils, often by working with other agencies. For example, many schools are supporting their pupils by providing food vouchers and parcels (95%) and providing non-education related information (83%) to assist families. Further, two in every five senior leaders report that their staff are making home visits to vulnerable pupils who are not attending school. Among teachers who are conducting home visits, around half (48%) were visiting vulnerable pupils once a week.
  • Despite high levels of collaboration between schools and other agencies, there is scope for agencies to work together more closely to provide social and welfare support for vulnerable children, especially in deprived areas. A quarter of senior leaders identified this as a particular challenge, rising to 30% of leaders in deprived schools.
  • There are more concerns about the welfare of vulnerable pupils in the most deprived schools: 54% of senior leaders in these schools report significant concerns for the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable pupils, relative to 35% of senior leaders in the least deprived schools. Similarly, the share of senior leaders reporting that staff in their school are undertaking home visits ranges from 26% in the most affluent schools to 46% in the most deprived schools.
  • Many vulnerable pupils and children of keyworkers are having similar – and in many cases better supported and supervised – learning provision than children at home. But, in-school activities for vulnerable pupils in the most deprived schools are more likely to be extra-curricular. Over a third (37%) of leaders in the most deprived schools report that their main approach towards in-school provision is on providing extra-curricular activities, compared to 17% in schools with the lowest levels of deprivation.

Carole Willis, Chief Executive at NFER, said:

“Today’s report shows how schools and their staff have taken the initiative in increasing the welfare support provided to vulnerable pupils. Given that impacts from the pandemic are likely to persist for some time, there is a need for schools to have increased levels of external support to ensure they can focus their resources on teaching and learning.

“The recent government announcement of additional support to enable children to catch up is welcome. However, policymakers should also specifically look at initiatives to help vulnerable pupils re-engage with learning and ensure there is adequate support for their health and well-being, including through social workers and other community initiatives. It will be crucial to increase their engagement and to support their parents to provide a secure and safe environment.”

Josh Hillman, Education Director at the Nuffield Foundation said:

“It is of great concern that the most vulnerable students have been the least engaged in learning during the pandemic, particularly those from schools in the most disadvantaged areas. We welcome the government’s catch-up plan, but if the initiative is to successfully close the ever-widening disadvantage gap, it is vital to reengage disadvantaged pupils with learning and give particular support to those entering primary schools.”

More about this project


By Nuffield Foundation

Explore our projects

New

Education | 2025 - 2026

Investigating performance across Key Stage 2 maths topics

View project
Teacher with secondary pupils
New

Education | 2024 - 2028

Teaching improvement through data and evaluation (TIDE)

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Long-term outcomes of high-achieving disadvantaged children

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Exploring academic selection and grammar schools in Northern Ireland

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Justice | 2024 - 2024

Crossing Boundaries: Co-designing support for vulnerable young people

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Pupil school mobility: types, pathways and implications for education

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Can digital parenting interventions benefit early language development?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Little girls in primary school uniform

Education | 2024 - 2026

Developing a classroom intervention to improve conversation skills

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Vocabulary for Reading: the power of words

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Pupil school mobility: types, pathways and implications for education

View project
New

Justice | 2024 - 2024

Crossing Boundaries: Co-designing support for vulnerable young people

View project
Teacher with secondary pupils
New

Education | 2024 - 2028

Teaching improvement through data and evaluation (TIDE)

View project
Secondary school music teacher smiles at students working together at a keyboard.
New

Education | 2024 - 2025

Teacher recruitment & retention challenges in England

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

A feasibility and pilot trial of the Early Years Library

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Can digital parenting interventions benefit early language development?

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
New

Education | 2025 - 2026

Investigating performance across Key Stage 2 maths topics

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
In progress

Education | 2023 - 2024

Artificial intelligence and education

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Two little boys and a little girl, all wearing primary school uniform, work together to solve a puzzle in their classroom.
In progress

Education | 2023 - 2025

What has ‘Free School Meals’ measured and what are the implications?

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

The long-term effects of being a young carer

View project
Elderly woman and adult daughter out shopping
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Connecting pensions, health and care

View project
Father and daughter having fun at home
In progress

Education | 2023 - 2024

Optimisation and feasibility of Triple P parenting programme for remote delivery

View project
Early years professionals playing with children
In progress

Education | 2022 - 2024

Understanding the take-up of early education entitlements

View project
Primary school children using a microscope during a lesson outside at school
In progress

Education | 2023 - 2025

Purposeful and effective practical work in primary school science

View project
Male and female apprentices looking at car engine
In progress

Education | 2022 - 2025

Work or study? Gender and the transition from school to work

View project
Mother, father, son and daughter standing in front of their house
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

A regional regeneration index to track socioeconomic ‘Levelling Up’

View project
Two teenage male pupils study a science lesson as part of their post-16 options
In progress

Education | 2019 - 2024

Post-16 pathways: the role of peers, family background and expectations

View project
Man working on a laptop using sign language on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2024

Designing inclusive remote and hybrid working to support disabled workers

View project
New

Justice | 2024 - 2024

Crossing Boundaries: Co-designing support for vulnerable young people

View project
Secondary school music teacher smiles at students working together at a keyboard.
New

Education | 2024 - 2025

Teacher recruitment & retention challenges in England

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

A feasibility and pilot trial of the Early Years Library

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Can digital parenting interventions benefit early language development?

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
New

Education | 2025 - 2026

Investigating performance across Key Stage 2 maths topics

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Vocabulary for Reading: the power of words

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Spending across different stages of education

View project
New

Education | 2024 - 2026

Exploring academic selection and grammar schools in Northern Ireland

View project
Reported

Justice | 2019 - 2023

Born into care: best practice guidelines

View project
Reception class children using a parachute in a PE lesson
Reported

Education | 2022 - 2023

A movement and story-telling intervention for reception children

View project
Grandparents having fun outdoors with their granddaughter, who is eating an apple and laughing: Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero

View project
Side view of two female high school students in classroom working on laptops social distancing. Student in foreground is in focus and student in background is blurred
Reported

Education | 2021 - 2022

COVID-19 and disadvantage gaps in England 2020 and 2021

View project
Siblings play ball in a playground - Siblings Contact and the Law
Reported

Justice | 2020 - 2021

Guidance to judges on the anonymisation of children judgements

View project
Close up of a young girl and her father wearing protective face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic outside.
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

The Economy 2030 Inquiry: navigating a decade of change

View project
Young boy draws and plays with a globe as part of nursery education
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2022

COVID-19 and childcare: local impacts across England

View project
Reported

Justice | 2020 - 2022

When is a wedding not a marriage? Exploring non-legally binding ceremonies

View project
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2022

Ethical principles underpinning co-production with young people

View project
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2021

COVID-19 mitigation measures: education provision and access to special schools

View project
Young-boy-uses-tablet-with-mother-for-maths-learning-Can-maths-apps-add-value-to-learning-PROJ
Reported

Education | 2020 - 2022

Can maths apps add value to learning?

View project
Toddler-gleefully-eats-baked-beans-How-COVID-19-is-affecting-food-security-proj
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2021

How the COVID-19 crisis is affecting food security

View project
Search projects

We improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We offer our grant-holders the freedom to frame questions and enable new thinking. Our research must stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny, but we understand that to be successful in effecting change, it also needs to be relevant to people’s experience.

Profile