Social Mobility

1
Social Mobility Narrowing Social Class
Attainment GapsA summary of the evidence and
lessons for policy making

• Stephen Meek
• Director of Strategy, DfES
• 26 April 2006

2
Overview of the work

• Extensive review of evidence to explore

What we know about social class attainment gaps?
What drives the attainment gap?What impact has
policy had, and what are the lessons for policy
making?
3
Other countries experience confirms the nature
of the challenge, and shows that this issue is
not unique to the UK
Relationship between the average performance of
participating countries on the PISA reading
literacy scale and the socio-economic gap in
student performance 2000
Size of gap not inevitable, but Driven by deep
social factors more than structure of education
system (though feedback) Hardest to reach are
hard to reach.
4
Creating a high-performance/high-equity system
reducing the attainment gap and increasing the
average level of attainment
Educational Attainment Levels in England Present
and Future (Indicative Only)
High
Average High SEG
Average High SEG
Average All
Gap
Average Low SEG
Attainment Levels
Average All
Gap
Average Low SEG
Low
NOW
THE FUTURE
Achieving both of those objectives simultaneously
is challenging
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What do we know about social class attainment
gaps? What drives the attainment gap?What
impact has policy had, and what are the lessons
for policy making?
6
There is evidence of a social class attainment
gap at Foundation Stage
Percentage of 5 year olds achieving a good
level of development by the end of Foundation
Stage in schools in Sure Start areas compared
with all schools in England (national average)
2005 ()
7
the attainment gap is similarly evident at
pupil-level across all Key Stages in School
Average Point Score for Pupils by Free
School Meal (FSM) Status for Key Stages 1 to 4
2005 (Points)
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4(2)
Key Stage 1
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As well as increases in attainment, there has
been a minor narrowing of the gap at KS3 and 4,
though overall gap remains signficant
Change in Average Point Score for Pupils by Free
School Meal (FSM) Status for Key Stages 2, 3 and
4 (Points)
Key Stage 4 (2002 -2004)
Key Stage 2 (2002-2005)
Key Stage 3 (2002 -2004)
Minor widening
Points
Points
Points
Minor narrowing
Improvement
Improvement
Improvement
Minor narrowing
Non FSM
FSM
Total
Non FSM
FSM
Total
Non FSM
FSM
Total
(1)
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While prior attainment becomes increasingly
important, deprivation has impact at all
attainment levels
Proportion in FT Education at 16 by Year 11
Attainment and Parental Occupation Classification
(NS-SEC) 2003 ()
Prior Attainment at GCSE
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Unqualified school leavers who go on to acquire a
level 2 qualification have better job prospects
Employment rates of unqualified school leavers
who later attain against qualified school
leavers ()
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What do we know about social class attainment
gaps? What drives the attainment gap?What
impact has policy had, and what are the lessons
for policy making?
12
Social factors are the biggest driver of the
attainment gap but our educational levers are
stronger

• The most significant factors behind a childs
  achievement are social, and in particular,
  parental. However, it is harder for government to
  intervene to effect change here.
• Though less of a driver of the social class
  attainment gap than social factors and individual
  characteristics, the evidence of the positive
  impact of educational interventions is more
  tangible.

Tackling social factors is critical, but they are
harder to affect
Educational interventions can be effective, even
though their potential impact is smaller
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What do we know about social class attainment
gaps? What drives the attainment gap?What
impact has policy had, and what are the lessons
for policy making?
14
Summary Early years

• Pre-school attendance has a positive effect on
  attainment in primary school,
• Access to childcare provision supports parental
  employment, which is likely to lead to better
  child outcomes
• Lessons for policy making
• take-up is lower among children from lower SEGs
• we need a better understanding of any quality
  gap and its impact on child development
• Evidence from the Sure Start evaluation points to
  ensuring interventions reach the most
  disadvantaged
• Need to sustain impact through school for early
  investment to have lasting consequences

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Summary family policy

• limited evidence on the effectiveness of
  interventions to improve parenting skills,
• those programmes which have an impact are often
  highly targeted, specialised and costly

Specific interventions to improve parenting skills

• Young people who live in single-parent/carer
  households or workless households often have
  lower attainment levels
• Increasing employment rates should raise family
  income, and permanent income does appear to
  matter for child development.
• The Department can support employment through
  access to childcare and through improving adult
  skill levels

Improving family circumstances
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Summary School age

• Risks that the present floor target regime on its
  own doesnt sufficiently focus effort on the
  lowest attaining pupils, or on children with
  potential to achieve very highly
• Intervention in failing schools has
  disproportionately benefited deprived pupils
• Funding is distributed at national level to
  recognise deprivation but this is often not
  reflected in Local Authorities allocation
• Increased funding can drive higher attainment
  among low SEG pupils, especially if linked with
  particular teaching and learning strategies
• Use of personalised interventions such as
  catch-up literacy and small group tuition can
  help FSM children
• Extended Schools have considerable potential
  but need to ensure access
• Not just for low-attaining deprived pupils
  deprived pupils at risk of slower progress at all
  levels of attainment
• Education Bill ensures pupils from deprived
  backgrounds are not disadvantaged in admissions,
  and are supported in making choices about
  schools.

School System
Funding
Curriculum, Teaching and Support
Choice and Access
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Summary 14-19
14-19 Qualifications and Curriculum Reforms have
Two Broad Objectives

• Breaking the cycle of student disengagement
• Participation lower among low SEG groups
• Raising attainment
• Ensuring that all students reach Level 2 by age
  19a new ambition for 85 of all young people to
  achieve this by 2013, rising to 90 thereafter

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Summary 19

• HE - while prior attainment is the key
  determinant of access to Higher Education,
  aspirations and expectations still play a
  critical role.
• Raising the skill levels of adults with few or no
  qualifications has potential intergenerational
  benefits, but making significant inroads into the
  stock is a big challenge,
• And evidence from the National Employer Training
  pilots suggested a need for targeting of
  employers who do not already provide time off
  for low skilled employees to train to
  qualifications to extend reach and impact

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Six general lessons underpin our approach to
narrowing the social class attainment gap
1. Higher Profile
2. Better Measurement
3. Early and sustained high quality interventions
4. Personalised Interventions
5. Improved understanding of key groups
6. Sharing Best Practice
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Key conclusions

• We are seeking to achieve an education system
  characterised by excellence and equity
• The evidence suggests that we need to think hard
  about accountabilities and incentives in the
  education system
• Key areas include
• A continued focus on raising attainment for all
  in the early years
• A target to increase the number of children at
  age 5 who achieve a good level of development
  from 48 to 53 by 2008
• Incentives to encourage progression for all
  students at all key stages, and possibly a target
  to this effect
• Ensuring that nearly all students reach Level 2
  by age 19
• A new ambition for 85 of all young people to
  achieve this by 2013, rising to 90 thereafter

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Social Mobility Narrowing Social Class
Attainment GapsA summary of the evidence and
lessons for policy making

• Stephen Meek
• Director of Strategy, DfES
• 26 April 2006