WWC019

Written evidence submitted by Achievement Fo All 3As

 

Introduction to Achievement for All 3As

 

  1. Achievement for All (3As) Ltd is an independent charity, established in May 2011, with the mission to transform the lives of vulnerable children, young people and their families, by raising their educational aspirations, access and achievement. The charity is led by its Chair, Brian Lamb OBE, author of the Lamb Inquiry on Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Parental Confidence, and Professor Sonia Blandford, CEO and National Director of the DfE funded Achievement for All programme.

 

  1. There are currently over 1600 schools involved in the Achievement for All programme. Following the profound impact of the Achievement for All pilot (2009-2011) involving 454 schools, across 10 local authorities in England, the programme is being rolled out nationally. The Charity is also developing and delivering a number of other innovative interventions for schools in the UK and internationally to improve outcomes of disadvantaged children, those with SEN and other vulnerable children.

 

 

Submission to the Education Committee – Inquiry into underachievement in white working class children:

 

Executive Summary

 

  1. In broad terms, Achievement for All 3As supports a framework in schools where all vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people can develop their skills, interests and capabilities to achieve.

 

  1. Achievement for All welcomes this opportunity to provide a response to the Education Committee on the inquiry into underachievement in education by white working class children.

 

The extent of white working class pupils’ educational underachievement.

  1. Government data and research highlight underperformance in white, British pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged families.. In 2012, white British pupils claiming FSM performed worse than any other group in the standard GCSE benchmark. 31% attained 5 GCSEs, grades A*- C in comparison to 63% of white British pupils not claiming FSM. The attainment gap of 31% was the largest between the richest and poorest children of all ethnic groups. For Bangladeshi pupils, this figure was 6%, the smallest attainment gap between rich and poor children in any ethnic group (DfE, 2013, cited in Ofsted, 2013, p.28). Underlying data shows that Chinese children claiming FSM performed better than white British pupils not claiming free school meals.  For other ethnic groups the attainment gap has also improved at a faster rate over the last five years than for white British pupils. In 2012, the performance of all white British pupils in English and maths was below national average (Ofsted, 2013). The impact of social disadvantage is seen even before a child starts infant school. In 2012 52% of young children claiming FSM did not meet the expected level of development at the end of Early Years Foundation Stage; this compared to 33% of their more advantaged peers (DfE, 2013).

 

  1. There is a big overlap between pupils who are eligible for FSM and those who are identified as SEN. In January 2013, 17.4% of white British pupils across schools in England were identified with special educational needs (SEN, without a statement). This was higher than for Irish, Asian, Indian, Bangladeshi and Chinese pupils (Chinese pupils were the least likely ethnic group to be identified as SEN without a statement; they are also the highest performing ethnic group at GCSE level) (DfE, 2013b). The Lamb inquiry (DCSF, 2009) questioned the accuracy of some schools in identifying children as SEN. Over identification of children can highlight a lack in teacher/school expectations.

             

Factors responsible for white working class educational underachievement, including impact of home and family

  1. The causes of underachievement are multi-factorial. Evidence suggests that socio-economic disadvantage is one reason for academic underachievement, but is not the only one. However, socio-economic disadvantage seems to have a stronger negative impact on white children than it does on most other ethnic groups. Chinese children claiming FSM perform almost as well as Chinese children not claiming FSM (White et al., 2013). Over the last few years the attainment of many ethnic groups has improved. This is also the case for those whose first language is not English (EAL pupils).Today pupils from Bangladesh outperform their white contemporaries; five years ago their performance was below that of their white peers. In a similar vein, five years ago, white British pupils outperformed Black African pupils. Today, their performance is almost commensurate (Ofsted, 2013).  

 

  1. Other factors which limit the achievement of white British pupils are rooted in the home, school and local community environment. Research evidence highlights the better performance of children whose parents are engaged with their learning (Harris and Goodall, 2007). There is a strong association between parental support and children’s educational achievement ( Desforges and Abouchaar, 2011; Harris and Goodall, 2007 and Goodallet al, 2011). For children from poor families, many parents do not realise they have a part to play in their children’s education (Blandford, 2012). For others, social factors limit their ability to engage with their children’s learning (White et al, 2013). Evidence from the Achievement for All programme has shown that when parents are engaged in this process, children’s academic and wider outcomes are raised. Through structured conversations between parents, their child and teachers, parents and carers have become an ‘essential’ part of their child’s learning. Both parents and children are given a ‘voice’ in the learning process. Teachers have got to know the pupils better and have been able to alter classroom teaching, introduce interventions and set more meaningful targets collaboratively.

 

  1. Research also shows that children and young people from disadvantaged families often have high aspirations for their future life, but they and their parents lack the capacity to achieve it. (Carter-Wall and Whtifield, 2012 and Grayson, 2013). What they need in particular, is information on what is available and how to achieve it. Further research places the burden on schools, suggesting that it is schools which need to help parents to understand what they need to do to meet their children’s aspirations (Menzies, 2013).

 

Is the problem worse for white British boys than white British girls?

 

  1. Educational underachievement is a problem for both white working class boys and girls. It is particularly acute for boys. In 2012, almost one in three white British boys eligible for free school meals failed to make expected progress (Level 4) in English and maths at age 11 (end of Key Stage 2). 79% of all other pupils achieved this level or above in English and maths at the end of the Key Stage; for white boys from poor families, this figure was 60%. The situation is worse when reading ability is taken into consideration. White boys from poor families are less likely to have basic reading skills than their more advantaged peers. In 2012, 51% of white British boys eligible for FSM made the expected progress in reading, writing and maths in comparison to a national average of 74%. Regrettably, this attainment gap widens from 24% to 32% by the time white boys from poor families complete secondary education.

 

  1. In 2012, 26% of white British boys from disadvantaged families achieved the standard 5 A*-C GCSEs or iGCSEs. This compared to 58% of all other pupils. Although the attainment gap at GCSE level between disadvantaged white boys and all other pupils has remained static since 2011, it has increased by 0.5% since 2008. Sadly, pupils who fail to leave school with basic literacy and maths are also less likely to be in employment, education or training when they leave secondary school and are more likely to spend time in prison. Almost half (48%) of all prisoners are at or below the expected Level 4 for reading of an 11 year old.

 

  1. GCSE performance data for 2012 suggests that although white British boys are the lowest performing group nationally, with 26% achieving the standard 5 A*-C GCSEs including English and maths, white British girls only perform marginally better. They are the third lowest performing group at GCSE level after white British boys and Black Caribbean boys. 32% of Black Caribbean boys achieved the standard GCSE expectation, whilst 32% of white British girls achieved this level. This means white British girls are the lowest achieving group of girls. Therefore any steps to improve educational outcomes of poor white pupils should address the challenges faced by both girls and boys in this group.  

 

What steps schools can take to improve the educational outcomes and attainment of white working class pupils

  1. In high performing education systems there is greater equity; all children are provided with the opportunity for ‘quality’ education (OECD, 2012). Schools nationally need to focus on raising the achievement of white working class children. The London Challenge, the Greater Manchester Challenge and the Black Country Challenge all provide evidence of raised pupil achievement when there is a clear focus in schools in underperforming areas.
  2. For schools, this involves a focus on raising aspirations (teachers, parents and pupils), increasing access and increasing achievement. This is done through effective deployment of resources- leadership, quality teaching and learning, parental and carer engagement in children’s learning and behaviour and attendance. This mirrors the Achievement for All programme, a bespoke framework for schools, which through a collaborative approach, has enabled schools to successfully focus on aspirations, access and achievement to raise pupil outcomes. In 2012, schools engaged in the Achievement for All programme saw Average Point Score increases of 50% above the national average for pupils with SEN; for reading and writing the increase was 4.2 APS. For maths this figure was an increase of 3.8 APS. Findings across schools also showed a 17% improvement in parent and carer engagement with teachers and with their children’s learning; there was a 36% increase in schools reporting excellent relationships with parents and carers. In top performing  Achievement for All schools, increases of up to 330% in Average Point Scores of between 6.50 and 9.15 in reading, writing and math were found. Teachers reported an 11% improvement in the ‘effective use of teaching practices’ and an equivalent, 11% increase in confidence in teaching students with SEN. Student behaviour and attendance improved with a 9% improvement in student attendance and an 8% improvement in student behaviour. (PwC, 2013).

 

  1. Prior attainment is the single most effective indicator of a child’s future achievement. A child who does not reach expected Level 4 in English and maths, is also less likely to achieve 5 A*-C GCSEs. This single fact underlines the centrality of early intervention.
  2. Never have head teachers in England had the autonomy they have today. They have more autonomy than head teachers in high performing countries (e.g. Singapore) (OECD, 2012). They have the autonomy to both identify low achieving groups and the autonomy to close the attainment gaps. Pupil Premium funding can be directed to where it is most needed.

 

The role of Government in delivering improved educational outcomes for white working class pupils

  1. Many of the recent educational reforms have led to increased pupil attainment and progress. The government supports the national expansion of Achievement for All. Government still has a strong role to play in ensuring that there is equity and quality in education for every child. This includes promoting a culture of high expectations across all schools and a focus nationally on educational outcomes of white working class boys and girls.

 


Appendix 1

 

Key findings from Achievement for All pilot (2009-2011) (Humphrey and Squires, 2011)

454 primary, secondary and special schools and pupil referral units across 10 local authorities in England participated in the Achievement for All pilot, with a cohort of 28,000 pupils.

 

Key findings showed that:

 

September 2013