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Independent report reveals solution to bridging the gap
An independent report, commissioned by PwC, has revealed that bridging the gap in schools and increasing attainment in the lowest achieving 20 per cent can be achieved for an investment of just £7,000 a year per school.
The report found that schools involved in a support programme run by charity Achievement for All, made high levels of progress reading – a staggering 55 per cent above national expectations at KS3-4.
Along with reading, pupils vulnerable to underachievement also exceeded national attainment targets in writing, by 53 per cent, and maths by 20 per cent.
And with almost 2-million primary and secondary school pupils in England eligible for the Deprivation Pupil Premium and allocated funding of over £2-billion, which can be used towards the cost of the programme, schools could find themselves closing the gap.
The PwC report examines the social impact assessment (SIA) of the Schools Programme – a two year whole school improvement framework delivered directly into schools by Achievement for All, via a team of expert coaches and online resources.
Ss Aidan and Oswald R.C Primary School in Oldham, Greater Manchester is on the Achievement for All programme. Deputy Headteacher Annette Deacy said: “Ss Aidan and Oswald R.C. Primary School has loved Achievement for All! Not just all our teachers, even the new ones, but the children and the parents and carers have loved it also.
“Achievement for all has equipped us well to work with our parents/carers and community to be pro-active in removing barriers to learning for our most vulnerable pupils. This has resulted in us closing the gap for these pupils in reading, writing and mathematics thus giving them a real chance to do well in their Secondary School. Achievement for All is alive and well in our school and all of our pupils now benefit from this child-focused approach according to need.”
Marjorie McClure School in Chislehurst, Kent joined Achievement for All in 2012 and all senior leaders and teachers were trained in how to hold Structured Conversations with parents. This is a process which helps schools to better engage with parents. As a result, the school has gone from Ofsted 'Good Judgement' in June 2011 to 'Outstanding in All Areas' in July 2014.
Kirstie Byrne, Music and Makaton specialist lead at Marjorie McClure School, commented: “I have been doing Structured Conversations for three years and can honestly say that in 24 years of teaching it has led to the closest working relationships I have had with parents.”
On a national level, the PwC report also shows that since involvement with the Schools Programme, over 80 per cent of parents have reported an improvement in their child’s progress in each subject. Maths reflected the most significant progress, doubling from 44 per cent before involvement with the Schools Programme, to 88 per cent after.
Pupils themselves also recognised their own improvements, with the majority (over 70 per cent) saying they liked reading, writing and maths more since involvement with the Schools Programme.
Pupils have also gained in confidence and self-esteem. The number of parents who feel their child is confident has increased by 24 per cent since involvement with the Schools Programme. In addition, the number of parents worried about their child leaving school without qualifications or a job is less than half what it was before involvement with the programme at 9 per cent.
“My child has been encouraged to improve academically without being made to feel that he’s bad at everything.”
“My child is now finding school more enjoyable because he has more understanding of his work.” Achieving Schools’ parent survey 2015
The report has also found that the Schools Programme is having a positive impact on social and behavioural outcomes with reported improvements in pupil attendance, behaviour, and engagement with their learning. 80 per cent of pupils feel they now listen and behave better in lessons, and 14 schools reported 95 fewer fixed-period pupil exclusion - a reduction of 48 per cent since involvement with the charity.
“At school I feel more confident with my learning, and I am not shy to ask questions anymore.”
“I know exactly what I need to do to improve now. It’s helped me feel better about the future.” Achieving Schools’ pupil survey 2015
The report has found that approximately 41,500 pupils were benefitting directly from the Schools Programme in one year at the time of research, with around 178,750 other pupils benefitting indirectly, through their teachers’ and peers’ involvement. The programme continues to benefit many others as well, with approximately 48,100 parents and carers directly benefitting this year, along with 14,700 teachers.
“I think that over time the entire school has benefitted from the programme due to improved behaviour around the school, and more effective teaching strategies employed by teachers.” Achieving Schools’ school champion survey 2015
The profile of schools’ funding for the Schools Programme has changed this year. Almost half of schools now use pupil premium to fund their involvement - up from less than 10 per cent in 2014.
Professor Sonia Blandford, CEO and founder of Achievement for All, said:
“Research shows that those with a low level of educational attainment are almost five times as likely to be in poverty now and 11 times as likely to be severely materially deprived as those with a high level of education.
“Our sole purpose at Achievement for All is to ensure that every child succeeds, regardless of their background, challenge or need. While our programme targets specific groups within a school or setting, it is also used as a whole school improvement tool. The practices and teachings are infiltrated across the board to benefit all pupils, teachers, parents and carers.
“We are delighted with the progress we have made as outlined in the PwC report, and are continuously looking to partner with more schools and settings across the country to help improve the outcomes for as many children and young people as possible.”
To read the full report, visit www.afaeducation.org or download here: Achievement for All – Social Impact Assessment 2015 – PwC