Factors Behind Schools Closing Disadvantage Gaps
In England, it’s reported that 3.9 million children live in poverty, with approximately 1 million of them in conditions that fail to meet basic needs. This situation means that in an average classroom, about nine students are living in poverty, two of whom are in extreme poverty, impacting their learning abilities due to coming to school hungry, dirty, and tired.
The Close the Gaps project, initiated in collaboration with Oxford and Cambridge Universities, published a report focusing on this disparity in student achievements. The report, covering the period 2021-23, analyzed schools that successfully narrowed the educational gap between disadvantaged students and their peers. It highlighted characteristics of these schools, noting that successful ones are often located in large cities, have a higher proportion of students benefiting from free school meals, and a higher number of students speaking English as a second language.
Furthermore, these successful schools tend to allocate a significant portion of their budget towards professional development and enhancing teaching capacity, focusing on strategies such as investing in reading and literacy, providing pastoral and mental health support, offering cultural and enrichment programs, and practical support for students outside school hours. Interestingly, the report found that successful schools spend less on leadership development.
The report emphasizes that while schools alone cannot solve poverty, effective use of available funds can reduce barriers, close educational gaps, and improve conditions for disadvantaged students.