This EPI report, in partnership with the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), into the attainment of deaf children in England reveals considerable attainment gaps facing deaf children during their time in education. The report recommends enhanced funding and support for deaf pupils, as well as those with other special needs, alongside a broader strategy to tackle child poverty.
The report found deaf children were on average almost a year and a half (17.5 months) of learning behind their classmates, who did not have any special needs, by their GCSEs in 2019. This lost learning typically results in deaf pupils losing out on more than a whole grade in each of the vital GCSE subjects of maths and English, impacting future career paths and earnings.
Whilst the learning losses experienced by deaf children become most pronounced during Key Stage 4, due to GCSE’s demanding more from pupils, they begin at a young age. For younger deaf pupils at Key Stage 1, 8.8 months of learning is lost, whilst those at Key Stage 2 lose 12 months.
At GCSE, this deaf attainment gap can be likened to the disadvantage gap facing socio-economically disadvantaged pupils (those eligible for free school meals at some point within the last 6 years). In 2019, socio-economically disadvantaged GCSE pupils faced an average attainment gap equivalent to 18.1 months of learning, only slightly larger than the 17.5 months experienced by deaf pupils. Concerningly, on average, these pupil groups attained lower grades than almost two thirds of all pupils in 2019.
When these pupil characteristics combine, however, the report reveals a particularly concerning outlook for deaf pupils who were eligible for the Pupil Premium. In 2019, 33% of deaf children at KS4 were socio-economically disadvantaged, compared with 23% of children with no special needs. Deaf pupils who were also socio-economically disadvantaged, on average, faced a gap of almost three years (34 months); almost twice as large as the gap faced by solely deaf pupils.