Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills, Christine Gilbert, has called for renewed efforts to narrow the gap and improve the care and education of children and young people who have the odds stacked against them. In her annual state of the nation address she said that not enough was being done to raise achievement and aspirations, particularly for children in public care – but that there was evidence that the gap can be narrowed.  She also points to the disproportionate number of exclusions amongst Black Caribbean pupils in schools.

Her first annual report for the new Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) finds a broadly positive picture across education, child care and adult skills. It highlights that with good provision and support disadvantaged children can make good progress. But the Chief Inspector warned that more needed to be done:
“The gap between the outcomes for those with advantages in life and those with the least is not reducing quickly enough. Only 12% of 16 years olds in public care achieved five or more good GCSEs in 2006 compared with 59% of all 16 years olds. This cannot be right and we need to do more. There is no quick fix but providers should learn from what works”.

The report warns that the relationship between poverty and outcomes for young people is stark. Young people living in the most deprived areas do worst in exams and are less likely to go to university. Schools in deprived areas are more likely to be inadequate than those serving more affluent areas. Children who are eligible for free school meals while in school are still more likely not to be in employment, education or training when they reach adulthood.

However, the report found that while the association between poverty and underachievement is strong, it is not straightforward. Family income does not explain everything; other factors, including ethnicity and gender, have significant effects and, overall, White British boys from low income backgrounds make less progress than most other groups.

The report also found that pupils of Black Caribbean and mixed White/Black Caribbean heritage – predominantly boys – were excluded in disproportionate numbers from Schools and that too often, the provision in pupil referral units for permanently excluded and other pupils was inadequate.

Despite this, there were many shining examples in the most deprived areas of what can be achieved. The annual report highlights the impressive efforts of many childcarers, schools, colleges and adult learning providers, some working in the most deprived areas, who are helping disadvantaged people succeed.

To read a copy of her report, click here.