Narrowing the Gaps

1

• Narrowing the Gaps
• and
• Funding

Michael Stark, Narrowing the Gaps
Formula Review Group 26 January 2009
2
Weve done well in raising average standards
Original PSA target - 60 to get 5 A-C by 2008
was met early. This years increase is the
biggest in a decade.
This year nearly 129,000 more pupils achieved
5A-C at GCSE or equivalent than did so in 1997
3
New PSA target incl. Eng and maths sets a
challenging trajectory
Over 78,000 more pupils achieved 5 A-C GCSE
including English and maths than did in 1997. 
The new target is for end of KS4 rather than 15
year olds. The figure for 1997 has been estimated
assuming a constant trend in difference between
end of KS4 and 15 year old pupil performance.
4
But FSM gap, on the tougher PSA measure, remains
large

5
The gap opens early and remains high
The odds of an FSM pupil reaching nationally
expected levels at age 7 are 3 times worse than
for a non-FSM pupil. Same at age 11.
Gap widens further during secondary education, to
3.5 times worse odds.
This narrows slightly on entry to HE, but remains
large
Gap opens very early at 22 months.
6
Weve done better on gaps between areas and
schools, than on gaps between pupils
Our targeting of areas and schools of highest
disadvantage is working (eg London). But most FSM
children are spread thinly everywhere else.
7
Weve done well with previously under- performing
ethnic minorities
Black children made double the progress of the
cohort since 2003, so the gap has halved.
8
The Equity problem
Now we need to tackle the big PSA 11 gaps,
especially poverty/class
Personalisation and the whole child approach
should help
9
Gap-narrowing needs to become a priority for LAs,
schools and classroom teachers
10
Gap-narrowing needs to become a priority for LAs,
schools and classroom teachers
LAs have new FSM targets, but little leverage
over school admissions and priorities. LAs
distribute disadvantage funding flat. New
accountability and funding must reflect new
priorities.
11
Gap-narrowing needs to become a priority for LAs,
schools and classroom teachers
Cohort average attainment targets dont reward
schools for taking or succeeding with FSM
children. Parents tend to avoid high-FSM schools
- even though their results are often better for
all pupils!
LAs have new FSM targets, but little leverage
over school admissions and priorities. LAs
distribute disadvantage funding flat. New
accountability and funding must reflect new
priorities.
12
Gap-narrowing needs to become a priority for LAs,
schools and classroom teachers
Cohort average attainment targets dont reward
schools for taking or succeeding with FSM
children. Parents tend to avoid high-FSM schools
- even though their results are often better for
all pupils!
LAs have new FSM targets, but little leverage
over school admissions and priorities. LAs
distribute disadvantage funding flat. New
accountability and funding must reflect new
priorities.
Teachers tend to treat all low attainers equally
no special focus on FSM pupils, and may not
know who they are.
13
Our strategy to narrow the gaps

Ensure FSM pupils identified, targeted and
tracked at LA and school level
Visibility and awareness-raising

Early years targeting home learning environment
peer/ family support
Early years, parents

Ensure teachers know and intervene early for FSM
pupils (11 tuition etc)
Targeted teaching support

Broaden experiences, raise aspirations, address
linked issues (health etc)
Beyond classroom extended school and other
services
Targets, OFSTED and school report cards to focus
on gaps and progress, not just average attainment

School and LA accountability and funding
14
White Paper New Opportunities, Fair Chances Ch.
4 World class school

• Raising standards and narrowing gaps
• Personalising learning
• A challenging and relevant curriculum
• A world-class teaching profession (recruitment
  CPD redeployment incentives to get highly
  effective teachers into challenging schools)
• Visibility, accountability and funding
• Consultation on school report card
• Local Authorities statutory FSM targets
• School Improvement Partners, Ofsted etc to focus
  on variance between pupils
• Disseminate lessons of the Extra Mile project and
  extend it
• Produce a guidance and best-practice document
  with practical measures for schools and partners
• We need to ensure that schools and LAs have the
  right funding, delivered in the right way, to
  meet differential costs. We are conducting a
  full review of the funding system, which provides
  some 35b, to ensure that it fully reflects and
  supports schools in meeting the needs of
  disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. We will
  implement any changes from 2011.

15
Some key considerations for the review

• National funding formula must help us narrow
  gaps. Does that imply
• Different uplift per disadvantaged pupil?
• Different proxies or weightings?
• Different floors or ceilings? (problem of
  cumulative impact on high/low deprivation areas)
• Why is correlation between LA average funding,
  school performance and FSM gaps currently weak?
• Do we seek more ring-fencing? Or just more
  transparency?
• LA funding agreements
• How much needs to be held at LA level?
• More passporting to schools? Less flat
  distribution?
• What system would incentivise schools to take,
  retain and succeed with FSM pupils?
• Do LAs need in-year flexibility to deal with
  in-year moves of the most challenging (costly)
  pupils?
• How do we best link funding and accountability
  to help drive gap-narrowing?
• Role of LA specific grants eg Ethnic Minority
  Achievement Grant (c.200m)?