Regional disparities emphasised as Schools North East contribution used in Education Select Committee evidence
On Tuesday the Education Select Committee continued its inquiry into left behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the first half of the session, evidence was given from Sammy Wright from the Social Mobility Commission and vice principal of Southmoor Academy in Sunderland, and Dr Alex Gibson of the University of Plymouth.
Evidence was also given from Henri Murison, Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. Considering the importance of long term deprivation in the North East, Schools North East has contributed written evidence to this inquiry with the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and SHINE. This evidence was published last month, and can be found at the following link.
Robert Halfon opened the session by asking what the principle causes were behind the underperformance of white disadvantaged pupils. Henri Murison answered that the role of place was critical. He argued that there are several factors within different ethnic groups, such as parental support and housing conditions. While the primary issue is still poverty, in educational outcomes, culture and attitudes towards education explains some of the differences between white disadvantaged pupils and disadvantaged pupils from other ethnic groups.
Sammy Wright agreed with this, noting that the differences between different ethnic groups on free school meals isn’t as stark as the wider disadvantage gap. However, for white disadvantaged pupils there is an interaction between raw indicators of poverty and regional poverty. Alex Gibson reiterated this issue of place, noting the variation of performance of white disadvantaged pupils across the country, and that the differences between ethnic groups on FSM is a consequence of where white disadvantaged pupils are concentrated, and the differences in regional performance.
Henri Murison returned to this point, arguing that there is a ‘poverty of aspirations’ that results from living in disadvantaged areas rather than more prosperous areas, regardless of an individual pupil’s personal disadvantage. White disadvantaged pupils are more likely to live in areas of poor social mobility, and Alex Gibson noted that as well as there being a North-South divide, there is also a metropolitan-periphery divide, looking at the differences between pupils in London and those in coastal towns.
The witnesses were also asked about the current lack of focus on technical education, and the failure of current policy to promote multiple pathways in life, and not just on university. Henri Murison strongly agreed that this was an issue, arguing for a need to change what is valued in the performance and accountability system to avoid undervaluing technical education. He also argued that GCSEs should be a gateway qualification, rather than just serving those pupils planning on going to university.
While all three witnesses emphasised the importance of good schools, they also noted that addressing educational outcomes cannot just be school centric. Issues outside the school gates needed to be addressed, such as what parental support pupils had, and opportunities locally outside of schools.
Considering the importance of place in educational outcomes discussed in this session, these issues are vitally important to the North East. The context of long term deprivation formed the central concern in our Manifesto for North East Education, published last year. We also recommended the need for longer term and joined-up policy making, which recognises that schools alone cannot address the issues of long term deprivation.
The second half of the session focused on early years, with evidence from Jonathan Douglas from the National Literacy Trust, and Ed Vainker from Reach Academy. Both reiterated those issues outside of school, with the disadvantage gap opening already in the early years. Jonathan Douglas said that the home learning environment, quality of early year settings, and wider wrap around services all impacted progress during the early years. He went on to say that non-white disadvantaged communities often had a better culture towards education, with strong interactions between different generations, with both grandparents and parents supporting children in learning. Targeted support at Early Years also formed one of our recommendations in our Manifesto for North East Education.
These issues of long term deprivation are vitally important in understanding the challenges of education in the North East of England, and so the Select Committee’s attempts to understand why it is that white disadvantaged pupils have poor educational outcomes is welcome, and we will continue to report on further evidence sessions as well as the final findings when the Select Committee publishes them.