Poorer families are less likely to want to send their children back to school amid the coronavirus crisis – despite them having fewer opportunities for home learning, according to a new survey.

Kids from richer homes are spending an extra 75 minutes a day studying compared to their less well-off peers during the lockdown, the research found.

That means pupils from the wealthiest families will have done seven full school days’ worth of extra home learning by June 1, when more pupils could return to school. If children do not go back to school until September, the gap between the most affluent and the poorest pupils will double to three school weeks, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report warns.

Fewer than half of parents surveyed by the IFS said they would be willing to send their children back to school if they had the choice – but higher-income families are more keen for a return. The report warns: ‘This risks a situation where the children struggling the most to cope with home learning remain at home while their better-off classmates are back in the classroom.’

It comes amid a spat between ministers and teaching unions, who have expressed health concerns about returning to schools for both pupils and teachers, amid fears that social distancing could be difficult to enforce among children.

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Meanwhile, the chief executives of 22 academy trusts have said schools must reopen soon to avoid ‘irreparable’ damage to vulnerable children.

Prolonged absence from school could be academically and socially ‘calamitous’ for disadvantaged pupils, the leaders responsible for around 350,000 children said in a signed statement.

The signatories, who included Dixons Academies Trust’s Sir Nick Weller and Dame Rachel de Souza of Inspiration Trust, said: ‘If we do not take action and reopen schools soon, the impact of lost learning could be irreparable. The gaps between the “haves” and the “have nots” in our communities are widening daily and we will face years of frantic endeavour, in inevitable austerity, to compensate for this dislocation of learning.’

Policing Minister Kit Malthouse suggested schools may not be allowed to return on June 1, telling BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour programme that: ‘The Prime Minister said when he announced (the date) that it’s conditional on the numbers going in the right direction.’

Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, said many children were struggling away from the classroom, and the lack of education would have an impact on their future life chances.

Researchers have called on the Government to address the disparities between children from different backgrounds during school closures, as they warn the crisis is likely to widen attainment gaps.

Lucy Kraftman, research economist at IFS and co-author of the report, added: ‘These differences will likely widen pre-existing gaps in test scores between children from different backgrounds.’

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said teachers and school staff were well aware of the additional struggles that children from disadvantaged backgrounds have to contend with, adding: ‘Internet access is not the norm, space to learn is not available and many deal with high stress levels due to the daily struggle of worrying about money for basics such as food, clothing and heating.

‘Schools are doing all they can to support these children during lockdown by sending out care packs and learning packs.’

He said children should go back to school as soon as it is safe, continuing: ‘For that to happen Government needs to reassure parents and schools that it is safe to do so by publishing the science behind a June wider reopening, and have testing, tracking and tracing in place for reopening.’

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: ‘We will do whatever we can to make sure no child, whatever their background, falls behind as a result of coronavirus.

‘We have set out plans for a phased return of some year groups from June 1 at the earliest, in line with scientific advice.’

Researchers surveyed 4,157 parents online in England, with children in eight different school years aged between four and 15, between April 29 and May 12.

Under Government plans, children in pre-school, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 and could return to education on June 1 – two weeks today.

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