STEM: How to Bridge the Attainment Gap for Disadvantaged Pupils

Panagiota Letsou describes a unique project to engage children from disadvantaged communities in science and technology.

Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). From climate change to our reliance on the latest technologies, we are undeniably living in a world that is dominated by STEM-based issues and is destined to grow ever more so. As such, it is not a leap to suggest that those who build a solid foundation in STEM subjects and learning throughout their studies will not only be more employable in the future, but in fact more equipped for the future in general.

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      string(410) "... resources.Specifically, the level of disadvantage (typically measured by eligibility for free school meals (FSM) inEngland) is positively related to resources and negatively related to attainment; disadvantaged pupilsreceive higher funding in order to bridge the gap in attainment between them and more advantagedpupils.Key Findings:■ The magnitude of the ..."
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      string(4668) "Leadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.SCHOOL FUNDING AND PUPIL OUTCOMESREVIEWKeywordsSchool funding,pupil outcomes,academicevidence,impact,resources,attainment,disadvantagedpupils, freeschool meals,attainment gapSummaryThis DfE report shows how changes in school funding from 2010 to 2015 have affected pupiloutcomes in England. The report is a review of existing academic evidence and a new analysisof schools with reduced funding to assess whether this has had an impact on pupil outcomes.Overall, the relationship between funding and outcomes is not clear. It is a complex area to study,and some more recent studies – with better research designs – have found a small relationship. Thisreview focusses on these higher -quality studies.Establishing a robust, causal link between resources and attainment is difficult because of the needto control for a wide range of other factors that influence both attainment and school resources.Specifically, the level of disadvantage (typically measured by eligibility for free school meals (FSM) inEngland) is positively related to resources and negatively related to attainment; disadvantaged pupilsreceive higher funding in order to bridge the gap in attainment between them and more advantagedpupils.Key Findings:■ The magnitude of the estimated effect varies significantly between studies, usually explained bythe different methodologies that they employ. Overall, spending an extra £1,000 per pupil, canover time boost pupils’ attainment at GCSE, but only by a fraction of a grade. At Key Stage 2estimated effects range from a few weeks of progress to up to a term’s worth (in the most robuststudy).■ The majority of the evidence supports the idea that additional spending has a slightly greaterimpact on the attainment of FSM pupils than spending on other pupils.■ PISA evidence supports the conclusion that spending can play an important role in educationalachievement, although other factors explain the majority of the variation in PISA scores betweencountries.■ However, significant evidence gaps remain. Some could be filled by further research using theopportunity created to examine schools affected by the changes in funding arising from theintroduction of the National Funding Formula.■ The results indicate a small effect on primary results but none at secondary. This is in line with theother research on the topic summarised in this paper.Week Commencing 4th September 2017https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634758/School_funding_and_pupil_outcomes.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634758/School_funding_and_pupil_outcomes.pdfLeadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.■ At key stage 2, lower per-pupil funding was associated with very slightly lower attainment. Ourbest estimates suggest a 1% change in funding is associated with a 0.062-0.071 percentagepoint (pp) change in the proportion of pupils achieving at least level 4 in 2015.■ At key stage 4, a decrease in per-pupil funding does not result in a statistically significant changein attainment (after taking into account the fact that KS4 attainment was measured differentlyfrom 2013 onwards).■ At key stage 2, per-pupil funding has a small positive and statistically significant correlationwith attainment, albeit less than when looking only at schools that lost funding. The effectsize is modest and derives from large increases in funding in relation to smaller increases inpupil attainment. A 1% change in funding was associated with a 0.046-0.062pp change in theproportion of pupils achieving at least level 4 in 2015.■ At key stage 4, per-pupil funding has a small positive but statistically insignificant impact onattainment. Further analysis with a larger sample and a random change in funding may increaseour understanding of the causal effects of per-pupil funding at KS4.WEB LINKSchool Funding And Pupil Outcomes Reviewhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634758/School_funding_and_pupil_outcomes.pdf"
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Leadership

School Funding And Pupil Outcomes Review

30 Aug 2017

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      string(5761) "which the law is made and applied inEngland.The understanding and knowledge expected of pupils as a result of schools promotingfundamental British values includes:■ an understanding of how citizens can influence decision making through thedemocratic process■ an appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and isessential for their wellbeing and safety■ an understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive andthe judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the armycan be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintainindependence■ an understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs isprotected in law■ an acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (orhaving none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause ofprejudicial or discriminatory behaviour■ an understanding of the importance of identifying and combating discrimination.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384958/SFR50_2014_Text.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384958/SFR50_2014_Text.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384958/SFR50_2014_Text.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384958/SFR50_2014_Text.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384958/SFR50_2014_Text.pdf14Vol 6.3School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comReportsLeadershipBriefing The data also shows primary school results as a whole are improving, with the samepercentage reaching new higher standards for whole school achievement.According to the DfE figures, 768 schools failed to reach what is known as the floortarget of 65 per cent of pupils gaining at least Level 4 in formal reading and maths tests,combined with an informal teacher assessment of children’s writing abilities. In 2013,the floor target was 60 per cent. The DfE said that if schools were judged against thatstandard this year, just 469 primary schools would not have met the standard. A totalof 693 schools saw all of their pupils achieve Level 4 or better in reading, writing andmaths.The data is based on tests taken last year by 11-year-olds in 16,000 schools.Main points■ Reading and grammar, punctuation and spelling tests have seen the greatestincreases. Improvements in mathematics and science are smaller.■ Seventy-nine per cent of pupils achieved Level 4 or above in all of reading, writingand mathematics, compared to 75 per cent in 2013.■ Sixty-seven per cent of pupils achieved Level 4b or above in both reading andmathematics and also achieved Level 4 or above in the writing teacher assessment,compared to 63 per cent in 2013.■ Twenty-four per cent of pupils achieved Level 5 or above in all of reading, writingand mathematics compared to 21 per cent in 2013.■ The percentage of pupils making expected progress has increased by threepercentage points to 91 per cent in reading and by two percentage points ineach of writing and mathematics to 93 per cent in writing and 90 per cent inmathematics.School performance:■ 768 schools are below the primary school floor standard. This represents six percent of state-funded mainstream schools included in the floor calculations.■ Attainment in sponsored academies increased by seven percentage pointsbetween 2013 and 2014, compared to percentage points in converter academiesand LA maintained schools. These comparisons are based on the same group ofschools in each year.Performance by gender:■ Ninety-one per cent of girls achieved Level 4 or above in the reading test comparedto 87 per cent of boys.■ Eighty-one per cent of girls achieved Level 4 or above in the grammar, punctuationand spelling test compared to 72 per cent of boys.■ Eighty-six per cent of both boys and girls achieved Level 4 or above in themathematics test.Performance by FSM and disadvantage:■ Sixty-four per cent of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals achievedthe expected level in the combined reading, writing and mathematics measure,compared to 82 per cent of all other pupils – a gap of 18 percentage points, a onepercentage point fall since 2013.■ Sixty-seven per cent of disadvantaged pupils (pupils known to be/have beeneligible for FSM in the previous six years or have been looked after by the localauthority for more than six months) achieved the expected level in the combinedreading, writing and mathematics measure, compared with 83 per cent of all otherpupils – a gap of 16 percentage points and a one percentage point fall since 2013.■ The largest increase in attainment for pupils known to be eligible for FSM wasin reading and grammar, punctuation and spelling, with an increase of fourpercentage points since 2013. Seventy-nine per cent achieved Level 4 or above inreading, and 62 per cent achieved Level 4 or above in grammar, punctuation andspelling.15Vol 6.3School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comReportsLeadershipBriefingThis research report by BT reveals British perceptions and attitudes towardsinvention and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, andrecommends ways to inspire the nation’s future inventive thinkers: ‘Generation I’.The study of 2,000 UK adults and 1,000 12-16 year-olds highlights the need to makeinvention more mainstream and accessible, through:■ challenging gender/class stereotypes■ broadening the common conception of invention to include art,"
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Leadership

SLT 6.4 Report Update

27 Jan 2015

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      string(344) "... use of appropriate transactional language – that is the language of learning. Highlighting weaknesses in students’ ability to express their ideas in a structured way can seem pedantic in what may be a vibrant learning environment, but because I have the privilege of observing pupils in a vastly different range of ..."
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      string(5676) "Over the last two years in my role as an education consultant I have become increasingly concerned about students’ and teachers’ use of appropriate transactional language – that is the language of learning. Highlighting weaknesses in students’ ability to express their ideas in a structured way can seem pedantic in what may be a vibrant learning environment, but because I have the privilege of observing pupils in a vastly different range of schools and contexts, I can see the difference it makes. This was brought into sharp focus last summer term when, in the space of a week, I reviewed two outstanding but very contrasting schools by dint of their location and intake. One was a girls’ grammar school in a very middle-class area, and the other an outer-city school in an area of very high deprivation and mobility. Both schools had excellent teachers, a commitment to the whole pupil and high aspiration for their students’ futures, and yet the challenges they faced were completely different. In the former, the ability to express ideas and enter into a dialogue to extend learning was the norm – pupils were articulate and confident to challenge their teachers and each other – the language of learning was their everyday language. In the other, teachers had to address the lack of communication skills at every level – it was not that students lacked knowledge or ideas, but the ability to communicate those ideas in a more structured way was a real challenge because it was not their everyday language – it had to be learned alongside the subject content. While these two schools provide the most recent examples, I have seen this contrast again and again, so it was refreshing to hear a government minister highlight this.In his speech at Resolution Foundation, Damian Hinds talked about closing the attainment gap by tackling the ‘last taboo’ of education – the home learning environment. He said:Right now 28% of children finish their reception year without the early communication and reading skills that they need to thrive. Most pressingly, it is a persistent scandal that we have children starting school and struggling to communicate, to speak in full sentences. That we have children who have hardly yet opened a book, or had the chance to discover all the worlds books introduce you to. This matters, because when you’re behind from the start you rarely catch up, because, of course, your peers don’t wait, the gap just widens and this has a huge impact on social mobility. On average, disadvantaged children are four months behind at age five. That grows by an additional six months by the age of 11, and a further nine months by the age of 16. Children with poor vocabulary at age five are more than twice as likely to be unemployed when they are aged 34. It’s command of language, being able to express ourselves effectively, that is the gateway to success in school – and later on into later life.¹While applauding the observations within his speech and his proposals to invest more in early years provision and home learning for the most disadvantaged pupils, I believe that there is more we need to do to address the issues in school, because it is not just the lack of pre-school learning that is the problem. Children’s home and social environments are changing very rapidly and this affects their learning at every stage. Increasingly, children are engaged in communicating via social media using acronyms and visual media, texting rather than talking, and this applies not just to children – whole families spend more time on their screens than they do talking to each other. You only have to walk down the street or stand at the school gate to see parents on their phones, or sit in a restaurant and watch a whole family with phones and iPads. In talking to friends and family about how they spend their time, it seems that even television is not a shared experience, and meal times are often serial events rather than a collective activity. I believe we have not yet seen the full impact of these changes on pupils’ learning because the teenagers of today were not exposed to the same amount of technology when they were very young, but many children in Key Stage 2 were, so we need to start the conversation now about how schools can address the issue.The importance of talk was highlighted by Robin Alexander as part of his work on the Primary Review and his publication on Dialogic Teaching. He noted: ‘Talk has always been one of the essential tools of teaching and the best teachers use it with precision and flair. But talk is much more than an aid to effective teaching. 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Leadership

Talking to Learn

13 Nov 2018

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      string(382) "... 11 than peers from similar homes who had not. Taking part inactivities after the formal school day could therefore play an important role in closingthe attainment gap between children from economically disadvantaged backgroundsand those with more family resources.Unfortunately, there remain significant inequalities in the take-up of out ofschool ..."
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      string(5741) "world-class standard. Supporting the long-term disadvantagedpupils to catch up with their peers is proving particularly difficult – whether in theNorth, the South, coastal areas or, indeed, London.The differences in regional performance mean that disadvantaged pupils canfall behind their peers by almost an extra half a year depending on where they go toschool.Read the full reportcentreforum.org/live/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/education-in-england-2016-web.pdfAfter-school clubs and sports can improve the academic performance and socialskills of disadvantaged primary school pupils, this research by NatCen SocialResearch, Newcastle University and ASK Research has revealed.The study found that poorer primary children who had taken part in after-school clubsget better results at age 11 than peers from similar homes who had not. Taking part inactivities after the formal school day could therefore play an important role in closingthe attainment gap between children from economically disadvantaged backgroundsand those with more family resources.Unfortunately, there remain significant inequalities in the take-up of out ofschool activities among primary school children, with children from disadvantagedbackgrounds substantially less likely to take up most of the organised activitiesinvestigated as part of this study.Main findings■ From the ages of five to 11, sports club activities are dominated by children frommore well-off families. This peaked at age seven with almost four out of five childrenfrom better off families taking part, compared to only two out of five of those frompoorer homes.■ In comparison, breakfast and after-school clubs, both generally available on schoolpremises, showed parity in uptake between disadvantaged children and othersfrom more economically advantaged backgrounds.■ For children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who have lowertake-up of formal out of school activities, school-based clubs appear to offer anaffordable and inclusive means of supporting academic attainment.■ These inequalities are likely to be largely driven by the costs of participation inorganised activities, including not just the direct cost of the fees for the activity butalso the associated cost of travel to and from the activity, the cost of uniforms, kit ormaterials (e.g. instruments).■ Another barrier to community-based activities, as opposed to school-basedactivities, may also be to do with the scheduling of activities in afternoons, thedifficulties getting to and from, and the travel time.■ Children taking part in organised sports and physical activities at the ages of five,seven and 11 were almost one and a half times more likely to reach a higher thanexpected level in their KS2 maths test at age 11. No relationship was found betweenorganised sports and activities and KS2 English and science scores.Out of schoolactivitiesduringprimary schooland KS2attainmenthttp://centreforum.org/live/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/education-in-england-2016-web.pdfhttp://centreforum.org/live/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/education-in-england-2016-web.pdf22Vol 7.4School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comReportsLeadershipBriefing ■ Among disadvantaged children, those who attended after-school clubs also faredbetter than their peers who did not take part in such groups. They achieved, onaverage, a two-point higher total score in their KS2 assessments in English, mathsand science at the end of primary school. This is equivalent to two-fifths of the‘attainment gap’ between poorer children who score, on average, a total of 53points at KS2 and those from more affluent homes who gain 58 points.■ Children who participated in organised sports and physical activities at any timeduring primary school had better social, emotional and behavioural skills thanthose who did not take part. This was also the case for disadvantaged children whohad attended an after-school club during primary school, compared with otherpoorer children who had never joined one.■ Disadvantaged children who take part in after-school clubs during primary schoolhave higher KS2 results than those who do not, and higher KS2 results thanpredicted based on their KS1 results and other background characteristics andcircumstances.The conclusion?After-school clubs and other clubs based on school premises seem to be an easyvehicle for policymakers and educators to ensure that children have access to both thecore curriculum and wider enriching activities.Read the full reportwww.natcen.ac.uk/media/1135440/CLS-WP-2016-Out-of-school-activities-during-primary-school-and-KS2-attainment.pdfThinking HatsBy Anna ForsythAll books priced at £17.99 eachThinking Hats – Book 1 Ages 5-7Thinking Hats – Book 2 Ages 7-9Thinking Hats – Book 3 Ages 9-11Creativity is the wealth of tomorrow. Developing laterality in approachto issues is exciting, challenging and critical learning. World-renownedEdward de Bono’s concept of ‘Thinking Hats’ has proven itself to be anexcellent way to ensure that students consider problems and issues fromdifferent perspectives; ‘actively thinking’.This series of three books teaches the use of Edward de Bono’s sixthinking hats; white for facts and information, yellow for optimism,green for creativity, blue for the overall picture, black for negative, redfor emotions.A series of 40 lessons in each book spans almost all the curriculum areasso that students practice using thinking hats in many contexts.Thinking Hats conceptThis series is based on Edward de Bono’sOrder Now: Tel: 0121 224 7599 Fax: 0121 224"
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Leadership

SLT 7.4 Report Update

19 May 2016

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      string(4011) "The report describes a school environment that is failing children and teachers and is affecting schools’ performance in league tables. It identifies significant gaps in understanding, empathy and resources that are preventing adopted children from having an equal chance to succeed at school. Adopted children are 20 times more likely to be permanently excluded from school than their classmates, and they are much more likely to leave school with no qualifications. Adoption UK is proposing 3 key changes: A specialist programme of continuing professional development to equip all educators to support traumatised children; more emphasis on emotional and social skills; and ensuring that all children can access the same level of specialist support in school no matter where they live in the UK. Key Findings: 79% of adopted children and young people agreed with the statement “I feel confused and worried at school” Almost three quarters of adopted children and young people agreed with the statement “Other children seem to enjoy school more than me” Two thirds of secondary-aged adopted young people told us that they had been teased or bullied at school because they are adopted. Almost 70% of parents feel that their adopted child’s progress in learning is affected by problems with their wellbeing in school. 60% of adoptive parents do not feel that their child has an equal chance at school. The research highlighted four gaps which must be bridged if adopted children are to have an equal chance in school: The Understanding Gap: A history of abuse, neglect and trauma impacts a child in myriad ways. A full understanding of this impact is the necessary starting point for meeting the needs of adopted and previously looked-after children in school. How to bridge the understanding gap: a programme of continuing professional development specifically tailored to supporting pupils who have experienced early childhood trauma, for all education professionals. The Empathy Gap: Traumatised children can react to everyday events in surprising ways, which impacts on their relationships with adults and peers. Approaching such children with empathy helps school staff to respond in a way that will support emotional wellbeing. How to bridge the empathy gap: reduce the pressure for academic achievement at all costs and prioritise emotional and social literacy in schools, giving staff and students the time and space to develop meaningful, supportive relationships. The Resources Gap: Schools are under financial pressure with resources stretched thinly in all areas, but investing in the social and emotional wellbeing of adopted and previously looked-after children will pay great dividends, both in enabling them to reach their potential academically, and in wider benefits to school life and society at large. How to bridge the resources gap: end the postcode lottery to ensure that there is parity of funding and provision of specialist support regardless of where in the UK previously looked-after children attend school. The Attainment Gap: We do not have enough government data to get a full picture of the attainment of adopted and previously looked-after children but, where data is collected, it shows that they lag significantly behind their peers. How to bridge the attainment gap: lay the foundations by collecting and analysing educational outcomes data for previously looked-after children and close the gaps in understanding, empathy and resources. WEB LINK Bridging The Gap: Giving Adopted Children An Equal Chance In SchoolKeywords Bridging gap, adopted children, equal chance, school, early years, coping emotionally, failing academically, school environment, teachers, permanently excluded "
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Leadership

Bridging The Gap: Giving Adopted Children An Equal Chance In School

9 Jul 2018