The Department told us that it was determined that the catch-up learning programme should address the widening attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. For example, it explained that its focus for the ‘academic mentors’ scheme was on schools with a high number of pupils eligible for free school meals. In addition, it said that, while the 2020/21 catch-up premium was based on overall pupil numbers, the 2021/22 recovery premium funding would be based on numbers of pupils eligible for pupil premium and thereby explicitly targeted at deprivation.52