红桃影视

Disadvantaged pupils perform better at schools with where they account for higher proportions of the cohort, researchers have said.

An study, released today, also found areas where disadvantaged youngsters perform worse are more likely to have high numbers of poorer white children.

Amber Dellar, of the IfG, said: 鈥淭he government鈥檚 opportunity mission is a good starting point for narrowing the gaps, but it lacks a clear vision or plan for delivering that goal in schools.

鈥淎ny serious plan must focus on helping schools share what works in supporting disadvantaged pupils and reducing their high rates of absence.鈥�

Here鈥檚 what you need to know鈥�

1. Schools with ‘greater knowledge’ of disadvantage

The study found poorer children at key stage 2 tended 鈥渢o do better鈥�in local authority areas where they make up a higher proportion of pupils鈥�.

Parts of the country where primary school disadvantage was in the 75^th percentile typically had 2.9 percentage points more of its poorer pupils 鈥渕eeting expected standards at KS2 than areas with median disadvantage rates鈥�.

The report suggested this could be because 鈥減rimary schools with more disadvantaged pupils are better equipped to support them鈥�, adding: 鈥淭his may reflect their greater knowledge of, and experience in, tailoring education to these pupils鈥� needs.

鈥淭he government should therefore develop networks for these schools to share learnings with those that have fewer disadvantaged pupils.鈥�

IfG noted 鈥渟imilar relationships鈥� existed at secondary level, but that 鈥渢he correlation is weak鈥�.

2. Northern kids fall behind by GCSEs

Pupils in the north east and north west 鈥渢end to underperform鈥� at key stage 4, according to the report.

The former 鈥渉as had the worst regional KS4 progress since the new GCSE grading system was fully rolled out in 2019鈥�.

In 2024, both of the regions鈥� key stage 2 attainment was 60 per cent and 62 per cent respectively, which was 鈥渙n par with the national rate of 61 per cent鈥�.

But this 鈥渢ends to drop off by the end of secondary school鈥�.

鈥淎s a result, the average pupil in the north east and north west scored between a sixth and a quarter of a grade worse in each KS4 subject than would be expected given their KS2 attainment.鈥�

3. 鈥楪ulf鈥� between areas

The report found 鈥済reater variation in educational outcomes at a local authority level than there is regionally鈥�.

Two local authorities at the so-called 鈥渓ower end鈥� saw 鈥渏ust half of pupils reach the KS2 expected standard in 2024鈥�, while seven London boroughs 鈥渟aw three-quarters do so鈥�.

The 鈥済ulf鈥� is even starker at key stage 4.

鈥淚n Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, Sutton, Barnet and Trafford (the only non-London authority), KS4 attainment was above 80 per cent 鈥� around double what it was in Knowsley and Blackpool in the north west (40 per cent and 42 per cent respectively).鈥�

4. Outcomes worse for disadvantaged white pupils

Previous FFT Education Datalab research identified a 鈥渉igh-impact鈥� group of pupils, for whom 鈥渄isadvantage disproportionately affects performance鈥�. It is 鈥渕ostly composed of white British children鈥�.

Eighty-four per cent of disadvantaged children in the north east were from these backgrounds in 2023-24, according to the IfG, compared to 鈥渙nly around 30 per cent in London鈥�.

This explains 鈥渄isadvantaged pupils鈥� relative underperformance in the north east and overperformance in London鈥�.

Meanwhile, local authorities in the bottom fifth for the primary and secondary performance of poorer youngsters were 鈥渄isproportionately likely to have above-average shares鈥�from the high-impact group鈥�.