Report

Fairness first

Think tank: The Sutton Trust

Author(s): Various Authors

May 20, 2021

This report from UK think tank The Sutton Trust looks at social mobility, covid and education recovery.

In the 14 months that have passed since the closure of Britain’s schools in March 2020, our education system has faced an extraordinary challenge. Our priority now should be to do everything in our power to help young people bounce back, and to make sure none are left behind in this process. That is why we must put social mobility and fairness at the centre of our national recovery plan. Here, the Sutton Trust outlines its priorities for a ‘fairness-first’ recovery plan, from the early years to sixth forms and college, based on three principles: the right scale and duration to match the challenge, a targeted approach, and including children and young people of all ages. This report is published alongside new polling, conducted by YouGov, which asked parents of young children between the ages of 2 and 4 about how the pandemic has impacted their child. We’ve launched a project with The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust to explore how the government can best respond to the needs of the early years post-pandemic.