Findings from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) show children from the lowest income families are up to 19 months behind their peers by the time they reach 16.
To conduct the report, of which the findings were first shared with the BBC this morning, researchers analysed children that received free school meals within the past six years, meaning their household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax and not including benefits.
They found that children from the lowest income families are now 19 months behind their peers by the time they reach 16 years old. What’s more, 15% of primary school children in England have missed at least one in ten days of school this year – up from around 8% before the pandemic.
Previously, the gap between the poorest students and other pupils had become a lot narrower before Covid as a result of schools efforts. However, the new report shows this gap is now only getting bigger.
The team found that if poorer children attended school more, the gap would fall from 19 months to 15 months of learning.
One particular area for concern is from 2019, disadvantaged children have become less likely to continue education after they have finished their GCSEs.
Natalie Perera, who led EPI’s research, has claimed that this research is the first time ‘a very clear link’ has been made between how much children from the lowest income families attend school and how far behind other pupils they have fallen.
With these findings in mind, the report is calling on the government to better support disadvantaged children.
The suggestions include:
- The government practicing early intervention to address children’s absences, in particular, improving childcare accessibility
- Making SEND training a mandatory part of initial teacher training
- Offering better mental health support
- Introducing a student premium in the 16-19 phase, similar to the pupil premium at key stage 4
This research has been published as the government is due to deliver its Child Poverty this spring, with experts hoping they take on at least a handful of their recommendations.
The full report can be accessed here.
Photo by Taylor Flowe via UnSplash
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