In a new report, the Education Policy Institute (EPI), commissioned by KPMG, explores how successfully early years providers, schools and further education settings are able to support young people and close the attainment gap between the most disadvantaged and the rest in the local authority of Rochdale.
The report sets out the current position of the disadvantage gap across multiple phases of education in Rochdale, and how this has changed over the past decade to 2020. The report positions Rochdale’s disadvantage gap alongside the national average for England, as well as the wider Greater Manchester region (where Rochdale is located), to provide more context on how well Rochdale enables disadvantaged children to achieve.
Through analysis of the characteristics, attainment and disadvantage gaps of learners in Rochdale, the report highlights that, in many respects, the local challenges faced in Rochdale appear to be greater than in other parts of the country.
For Rochdale pupils in early years education, the report shows that overall attainment at age 5 is lower than the national average. While Reception pupils in Rochdale are more likely to be disadvantaged than across England nationally, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils is similar to Greater Manchester. The report also shows the disadvantage gap at age 5 in Rochdale and Greater Manchester to have been consistently higher than the national average, but that both Rochdale and Greater Manchester have made good progress in closing this gap in recent years.
Similarly, pupils in Rochdale at key stage 2 have lower attainment rates than the national average, with this group of pupils also being more likely to be disadvantaged than the national average but also having similar levels of disadvantage to those living in Greater Manchester. Since 2017, however, the disadvantage gap for pupils in Rochdale has been closing. The Greater Manchester disadvantage gap is consistently slightly below the national average, whilst having a higher share of disadvantaged pupils. The success of Greater Manchester in having consistently smaller disadvantage and persistent disadvantage gaps than England as a whole indicates this could be a useful area for exploring best practice.
At key stage 4, overall GCSE attainment is lower in Rochdale than the average for England. As in early years and key stage 2, a larger proportion of pupils were found to be disadvantaged at the end of secondary school in Rochdale than in both England and Greater Manchester. However, this is not the case for pupils in long-term poverty. Rochdale and Greater Manchester have both moved from a situation where a greater proportion of their disadvantaged pupils are persistently disadvantaged than is typical nationally to being broadly in line with the England average. This has come about both through a reduction in persistent disadvantage locally and an increase nationally. In recent years, the disadvantage gap in Rochdale has increased relative to England and is now close to the Greater Manchester average. Similarly, the persistent disadvantage gap in Rochdale has increased from being below the national average in 2018, to now being above, with it now matching the persistent disadvantage gap in Greater Manchester. This indicates Rochdale’s disadvantaged pupils are falling slightly further behind their peers nationally at the end of secondary school and are now faring similarly to those in Greater Manchester.
For pupils in 16-19 education, a slightly higher proportion of 16 and 17 year-olds in Rochdale participate in education and training compared to the national and Greater Manchester average. Upon completion of 16 to 18 study, about twice as many young people from Rochdale then go on to further education compared to Greater Manchester and England. Fewer disadvantaged young people in Rochdale were found to progress to higher education, with more progressing to further education. In 2020, disadvantaged students in Rochdale who sat Level 3 qualifications achieved the equivalent of 3.3 A level grades lower than their peers, which is a larger gap than at both the national and Greater Manchester level.
The report suggests a number of issues worth further exploration, to better understand and remedy the challenges pupils in Rochdale face.
You can access and read the full report here.
Key findings
Early years –
- Overall attainment at age 5 is lower in Rochdale than the national average. In 2019 Reception pupils in Rochdale had an average total point score of 33.2 on the early years foundation stage profile compared to 34.6 nationally (on a scale from 17 to 51). For Greater Manchester as a whole, the average was 33.8.
- Reception pupils in Rochdale are more likely to be disadvantaged than across England nationally but the proportion of disadvantaged pupils is similar to Greater Manchester. The share of pupils aged 5 in Rochdale who were eligible for free school meals was 17.3 per cent in 2019, compared to 14.0 per cent nationally and 17.5 per cent in Greater Manchester.
- The disadvantage gap at age 5 in Rochdale and Greater Manchester has been consistently higher than the national average but both Rochdale and Greater Manchester have made good progress in closing this gap. In 2013 the early years gap was 6.9 months in Rochdale and 6.0 months in Greater Manchester – considerably higher than the national average gap of 4.7 months. However, the difference between these areas and the national average is now small: by 2019, the national average disadvantage gap was 4.6 months, compared with 4.7 months in Rochdale and 4.9 months in Greater Manchester.
Key stage 2 –
- As with early years, pupils in Rochdale at the end of primary school have lower attainment than the national average. In Rochdale the average scaled score in reading and maths at key stage 2 was 102.5 in 2019, below the national average of 103.2 and the wider Greater Manchester average of 103.0. To put these figures in context, the highest scoring local authority was Richmond upon Thames with an average score of 107.9 and the lowest was Hackney with an average score of 100.8.
- Rochdale primary pupils are also more likely to be disadvantaged than the national average but have a similar level of disadvantage to those living in Greater Manchester. The share of disadvantaged pupils has declined overall in all three areas since 2016 but more markedly in Rochdale. In 2019 the share of disadvantaged pupils at the end of key stage 2 was 35.3 per cent in Rochdale, 35.1 per cent in Greater Manchester and 30.5 per cent in England, down from 38.1 per cent, 37.1 per cent and 31.6 per cent in 2016.
- The disadvantage gap at the end of primary school is higher in Rochdale than in England, at 10.0 months compared to 9.3 nationally. Until 2016, the Rochdale gap fluctuated around the national average. However, in 2017 it increased sharply, mirroring an increase in the share of disadvantaged pupils in that year. Since 2017 the Rochdale gap has been decreasing but is still above the England – and Greater Manchester – average.
- The Greater Manchester disadvantage gap is consistently slightly below the national average, whilst having a higher share of disadvantaged pupils.
- Rochdale and Greater Manchester have a similar share of persistently disadvantaged pupils by the end of primary school. These are pupils who have been eligible for free school meals for at least 80 per cent of their school lifetimes. In 2019 the share of persistently disadvantaged pupils was 13.3 per cent in Rochdale and 13.8 per cent in Greater Manchester. This compares to 10.9 per cent nationally. The share of persistently disadvantaged pupils has been declining in all three areas over the period 2011 to 2019 but more markedly in Rochdale.
- As with the headline disadvantage gap, the persistent disadvantage gap at the end of primary school is larger in Rochdale (12.7 months) than the national average (12.1 months). Rochdale was close to the national gap until 2017 when there was a sharp increase. The persistent disadvantage gap has been decreasing in Rochdale since 2017 and is once again close to, but still above, the national average. The persistent disadvantage gap in Greater Manchester has consistently been slightly below the England average (measuring 11.6 months in 2019).
- The success of Greater Manchester in having consistently smaller disadvantage and persistent disadvantage gaps than England as a whole – despite having a more disadvantaged pupil population (which looks close to that of Rochdale) – indicates this could be a useful area for exploring best practice.
Key stage 4 –
- Overall GCSE attainment is lower in Rochdale than in England. The average GCSE grade in English and maths in 2020 was 4.6 in Rochdale compared to 4.9 nationally and 4.8 in the wider Greater Manchester region.
- As in early years and key stage 2, a larger proportion of pupils (31.6 per cent) are disadvantaged at the end of secondary school in Rochdale than in England (24.1 per cent) and Greater Manchester (29.7 per cent).
- However, this is not the case for pupils in long-term poverty. Rochdale and Greater Manchester have both moved from a situation where a greater proportion of their disadvantaged pupils are persistently disadvantaged than is typical nationally to being broadly in line with the England average. This has come about both through a reduction in persistent disadvantage locally and an increase nationally.
- Historically Rochdale’s disadvantage gap in GCSE English and maths has been close to the national average and lower than the Greater Manchester gap. This has also been the case for the persistent disadvantage gap.
- However, in recent years the disadvantage gap in Rochdale has increased (to 1.32 grades in 2020) relative to England (1.24 grades) and is now close to the Greater Manchester average (1.34). There is no evidence that the national gap has substantially changed in 2020 as a result of major changes to the way GCSE grades were awarded due to COVID-19.
- It is a similar picture for the persistent disadvantage gap which, in Rochdale, has increased from being below the national average in 2018 (1.59 grades compared to 1.63 nationally) to being above it (1.71 compared to 1.60 nationally) and now matches the persistent gap in Greater Manchester.
- Although these differences are small, it is the case that the Rochdale disadvantage gap is increasing slightly and is now above, rather than level with, the national disadvantage gap. This means that Rochdale’s disadvantaged pupils are falling slightly further behind their peers nationally at the end of secondary school and are now faring similarly to those in Greater Manchester. These patterns are also mirrored for Rochdale’s persistently disadvantaged pupils.
- Rochdale ranks 89 out of 149 local authorities based on the size of its GCSE disadvantage gap – with a higher rank indicating a smaller gap. The best performing – based on having the smallest gap or highest rank – is Kensington and Chelsea (with a gap of 0.10 grades). The lowest performing – with the biggest gap or lowest rank – is Knowsley (1.76 grades).
- These gaps are partly explained by differing levels of persistent disadvantage across the country and taking this into account can considerably alter the geographic picture. However, when we account for Rochdale’s levels of persistent poverty, we find that it still ranks 89 out of 149 local authorities. This means its local demographics are not necessarily driving its relative gap performance – it is broadly doing similarly well once we factor in its local levels of long-term disadvantage.
16-19 education –
- A slightly higher proportion of 16 and 17 year-olds in Rochdale (88 per cent) participate in education and training compared to the national and Greater Manchester average (87 and 85 per cent). Fewer young people in Rochdale are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) than in Greater Manchester or England.
- Upon completion of 16 to 18 study, about twice as many young people from Rochdale then go on to further education compared to Greater Manchester and England. Fewer Rochdale students go to higher education or employment.
- Comparing disadvantaged young people in Rochdale with non-disadvantaged young people in Rochdale who have completed 16-18 study, fewer disadvantaged young people progress to higher education and more progress to further education. Disadvantaged young people were twice as likely to fall into the ‘unsustained’ category, meaning they had participated in education, an apprenticeship or employment but completed less than six months or were known to be claiming out-of-work benefits at some time during the destination year.
- In Rochdale barely half (51 per cent) of young people achieve level 2 by age 16 – a crucial threshold for further progression – and 78 per cent do so by age 19. In England 60 per cent of young people reach this threshold by 16 and 88 per cent by 19. In Greater Manchester the proportions are 57 per cent by 16 and 86 per cent by 19. The low share of Rochdale’s students achieving level 2 by age 16 has failed to improve since 2012 and likely explains some of the differences in progression highlighted above.
- About 900 students per year take A levels in Rochdale. Prior to 2020, the average grade of A level students in Rochdale was below, or similar to, the national average. However, in 2020 average A level grades increased in both Rochdale and nationally following widespread grade increases under teacher assessments, though Rochdale has now fallen behind the national average.
- Our 16-19 disadvantage gap includes a wider range of qualifications in addition to A levels. In 2020, disadvantaged students in Rochdale who sat Level 3 qualifications achieved the equivalent of 3.3 A level grades lower than their peers. The gap in England and Greater Manchester was 3.1 A level grades.
This report was commissioned by KPMG.
KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, operates from 22 offices across the UK with approximately 15,300 partners and staff. It is a member of a global organisation of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Legal, Tax and Advisory services.
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