Independent report reveals solution to bridging the attainment gap

Just £7,000 per school each year can help lowest-achieving 20 per cent of pupils

An independent report, commissioned by PwC, found that schools involved in a support programme run by charity Achievement for All, made high levels of progress in reading – a staggering 55 per cent above national expectations at KS3 and 4.

The report revealed that bridging the gap in schools and increasing attainment in the lowest achieving 20 per cent can be achieved for an investment of just £7,000 a year per school.

Along with reading, pupils vulnerable to underachievement also exceeded national attainment targets in writing, by 53 per cent, and maths by 20 per cent.

And with almost two million primary and secondary school pupils in England eligible for the Deprivation Pupil Premium and allocated funding of over £2 billion, which can be used towards the cost of the programme, schools could find themselves closing the gap.

On a national level, the PwC report also shows that since involvement with the programme, over 80 per cent of parents have reported an improvement in their child’s progress in each subject. Maths reflected the most significant progress, doubling from 44 per cent before involvement, to 88 per cent after.

Pupils themselves also recognised their own improvements, with the majority (over 70 per cent) saying they liked reading, writing and maths more since involvement with the Schools Programme.

To read the full report, visit afaeducation.org or download here.