July 19, 2022

Poorer Students in England and Wales Significantly Lag Behind New EPI Report Finds

A An Education Policy Institute (EPI) study found that the gap between poorer students and their peers in Wales was 22–23 months prior to the pandemic, and around 18 months in England. Over the past ten years, there has hardly been any improvement in this metric, the study found. The EPI stated that more needed to be done by policymakers to close the gaps, particularly in Wales, where things were noticeably worse.

According to the researchers, comparisons between England and Wales may be "difficult," because English qualifications were reformed in 2015, while performance measures in both countries have changed over time.

The EPI, however, noted that while Wales had a wider attainment gap than England at the GCSE level, progress in closing the gap in either country over the previous ten years had been "modest." It has urged a renewed emphasis on closing achievement gaps in schools.

…policymakers in both countries need to redouble their attempts to give poorer children a better chance in life, and Welsh policymakers need to consider if there are lessons, they can learn from the best performing areas of England, where gaps are far lower...

The EPI recommended in its report that local governments in Wales adopt policies from less affluent areas of England that have been successful in closing disadvantage gaps over time. The report claimed that increasing funding for lower-performing schools had been successful in reducing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students and that more money should be allocated specifically for students in both countries who are living in persistent poverty.

"The gap in educational outcomes between poor children and the rest is far too wide in both England and Wales," said Luke Sibieta, an EPI research fellow. He further added, however, the results for Wales are especially worrisome – with poor children on average almost two years behind by the time they take their GCSEs, compared with 18 months in England. In Wales, long-term poor children lag behind by almost 2.5 years, compared to just under 2 years in England.

A source that was part of the research told reporters, "Policymakers in both countries need to redouble their attempts to give poorer children a better chance in life, and Welsh policymakers need to consider if there are lessons, they can learn from the best-performing areas of England, where gaps are far lower."

While the report’s findings are worrying, the government is taking steps to correct them. The government has announced a levelling-up premium for teachers, under which qualified math, physics, chemistry, and computer teachers will be eligible to receive an additional £3,000 from 2022 to 2025 for teaching in less affluent areas.

Posted in News and tagged News, GCSE, England, Wales, Education Policy Institute (EPI) Report, Students
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