In Wales, we face a serious problem of inequalities in attainment between the rich and poor.\u00a0 At most stages in education, there is a significant gap in attainment between those who receive free school meals (FSM) and those who do not.\u00a0 Whilst FSM might not be the best measure, it is the most reliable indicator we have.\u00a0 The underachievement of poorer pupils means they are less likely to enter university, secure employment, and realise their aspirations.\u00a0 In short, the family they are born into still pretty much determines the chances young people living in Wales, and other parts of the UK, will have in life.<\/p>\n
So what can we do, and are the Welsh Government proposing to do, to alleviate this problem?\u00a0 The Welsh Government\u2019s most recent policy announcement aimed at tackling the issue is their \u2018Pupil Deprivation Grant\u2019.\u00a0 In the same way as the UK Government introduced the \u2018Pupil Premium\u2019, this grant gives extra money to schools based upon the number of their pupils in receipt of FSM.\u00a0 This policy is a financial approach to solving the problem \u2013 the theory goes that if you give schools extra money, they will be able to do more to help poorer pupils.\u00a0 School\u2019s have the flexibility on how to spend the extra money, but the Government is encouraging them to think about literacy and numeracy in particular, as well as how the progress of particular students might be tracked, and how voluntary statutory and other community services, and parents, might have an impact.<\/p>\n
But, to what extent might this approach reduce the attainment gap? Research shows that increased resources doesn\u2019t necessarily equate to better outcomes for poorer pupils.\u00a0 Indeed, since the Labour Government massively increased education spending, the gap in achievement between rich and poor hasn\u2019t seen a substantial change.\u00a0 We know that the home environment of young people is more important than schooling, which is the main factor behind the gap in achievement between rich and poor.\u00a0 However this is not to say that schools can\u2019t make a difference, and clearly an increase in resources is a good thing, but given the importance of background, we can only expect this difference to be marginal.\u00a0 It is their different experiences at home which matter most.\u00a0 We know that the home experiences of middle class children are more attune to what will be expected of them in school.\u00a0 The kind of cultural activities and experiences they have at home as well as their vocabulary development all better prepare them for succeeding at school.<\/p>\n
Therefore, in spending their extra cash, school leaders might want to consider the differences between home and school for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.\u00a0 Practical solutions need to take into account the fact that the school, and it\u2019s particular ways of doing things, approaches, language use, may be unfamiliar territory for many poorer pupils.\u00a0 One possible solution to address this might include the development of mentors who work on a 1 to 1 basis with disadvantaged young people specifically helping them to cope, and succeed, at school.\u00a0 The mentors could help young people cope with challenges such as how best to address conflict with their peers or teachers.<\/p>\n
Addressing the gap in attainment remains a massive and ongoing challenge for Wales.\u00a0 What is clear though is that we need to know what works.\u00a0 With schools being given the opportunity to decide for themselves what to do with the extra resources, it means we have an excellent opportunity to measure which specific practices might make the most difference.<\/p>\n