Pupils in England were catching up with their learning in autumn 2020, only to see some of their progress obliterated during the second lockdown of schools, government-commissioned research has found. To curb the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, schools in England were ordered to close between March and August 2020, and between January and March 2021. Vulnerable children and children of keyworkers were allowed to attend schools, and a few year groups were in schools for a while during the fist lockdown. In the interim report on school recovery strategies (pdf) published on Tuesday, researchers found that apart from the CCP virus restrictions and staff and pupil absences, the differences in pupils’ progress have been the most common challenge among primary schools in autumn 2020, while secondary school pupils were struggling with emotional and mental health problems. The disparities in pupils’ social, emotional, and academic progress have also increased over the …