Sir Kevan Collins will “oversee a comprehensive programme of catch-up aimed at young people who have lost out on learning due to the pandemic”, Downing Street said in a press release.

As the government’s “education recovery commissioner” Collins “will work with government to deliver measures that will support children who have missed out on face-to-face education due to extended school closures.”

“This will include addressing factors such as curriculum content and quantity of teaching time in the coming months, to ensure the impact the pandemic has had on learning is addressed as quickly and comprehensively as possible,” the press release stated.

He will have to develop a "a long-term plan" for helping pupils make up for lost learning.

Boris Johnson said "no child will be left behind" because of the pandemic.

The announcement says getting education back on track and fully opening schools is a "national priority".

Sir Kevan Collins has worked in the education sector for over 30 years. He started teaching in East London and became the National Director of the Primary National Strategy in January 2003. In 2005 Kevan was appointed as the first Director of Children's services in Tower Hamlets.

In October 2011 Kevan took up post as the first Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Chief Executive, having previously been Chief Executive in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

He is also a visiting professor at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE); he was knighted for services to education in 2015 and has been identified as the Secretary of State's Opportunity Areas 'Evidence Champion'.

"School closures have had a huge impact on children's learning," says the announcement from Downing Street and the Department for Education.

Sir Kevan will lead an effort to help children "make up their learning over the course of this Parliament".

"Our top priority is to get schools open again," Mr Johnson said.

"Once they are, we will make sure that teachers and students are equipped with the resources and the time they need to make up for lost learning."

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said Sir Kevan would be a "tremendous asset to those young people, their families, and everyone working in education, who have my lasting gratitude for their efforts to support young people throughout the pandemic".

Catch-up funding of £1bn has been announced, including subsidies for tutoring services.

Ofsted, England's education watchdog, has warned of a "significant" loss of learning during the pandemic, particularly affecting the disadvantaged.