The latest report by EPI investigates the drivers of the disadvantage gap and calls on the government to address the underlying causes of school absences, as it identifies higher levels of absence to be a key factor in the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
Specifically, the report finds that:
- Pupil absence is a key, and growing, driver of the disadvantage gap. If disadvantaged pupils had the same level of absence as their peers in 2023, the attainment gap at age 11 (of 10.1 months) would have been almost one month smaller and the gap at age 16 (of 18.6 months) would have been over four months smaller
- The growth in the disadvantage gap at age 16 by 0.5 months since 2019 (to 18.6 months in 2023) can be entirely explained by higher levels of absence for disadvantaged pupils.
- At each key stage, more than half of the gap is explained by the size of the gap in earlier phases. Our analysis finds that by age 7, nearly 60% of the gap at age 11 has already developed.
- Disadvantaged students fall even further behind when they attend schools and colleges with lower-attaining intakes – this peer effect adds over 1 month to the GCSE gap in 2023, and a third of a grade to the 16-19 gap.
- The attainment gap is widening for the youngest pupils with special educational needs, with pupils on SEN support in reception year falling 0.7 months behind their peers between 2019 and 2023.
- The gender gap for GCSE students has narrowed during this period as boys are catching up, but this also reflects slower progress of girls during secondary schools.
- The 16-19 disadvantage gap has changed little since 2019 but disadvantaged students have become less likely to continue education after the end of key stage 4.
The report recommends that:
- The government should prioritise early intervention to improve school readiness and reduce gaps throughout schooling, by increasing the early years pupil premium to match the pupil premium in later years, ensuring a high quality workforce and improving childcare accessibility for disadvantaged children in particular.
- As part of wider SEND reforms, the government should prioritise training in child development and different types of SEND, making it a mandatory part of initial teacher training and early career development.
- The government should develop a new absence strategy which addresses its root causes and includes improved SEND identification, better mental health support in and outside of schools, and fostering pupils’ sense of school belonging.
- The government should introduce a student premium in the 16-19 phase, similar to the pupil premium at key stage 4.
- The government is due to publish its Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025. This should specifically consider centralising auto-enrolment for free school meals to ensure wider coverage, as well as abolishing the Two-Child Limit and the benefits cap.
- Given the need to reduce segregation in the education system, school admissions should be reformed to level the playing field for disadvantaged pupils and better information, advice and guidance should be provided to support high-attaining disadvantaged students in particular.
You can download and read the full report here.
This report is kindly funded by the Sequoia Trust and Unbound Philanthropy.
Unbound Philanthropy is an independent private grant-making foundation that invests in leaders and organisations in the US and UK working to build a vibrant, welcoming society and just immigration system.
