Is not equal
The UK's education system is failing far too many pupils - and in more ways than one.
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Is not equal
The UK's education system is failing far too many pupils - and in more ways than one.
CLICK HERE

Is not equal
The UK's education system is failing far too many pupils - and in more ways than one.
FIND OUT MORE

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What does “eligible for free school meals mean”?
Eligibility for free school meals is tightly controlled in England, so it is a reliable measure of child poverty. Nearly a quarter of pupils are eligible, and a quarter of all children are identified by the government as living in absolute poverty. That’s over two million children in both cases.
Why does this affect outcomes, when education is free?
A child’s school learning doesn’t take place in a vacuum. It is part of a connected package of life activities including eating, sleeping, socialising and playing. These elements all work together in child development. School learning is bound to suffer if other aspects of a child’s life are compromised by a shortage of money.
Why are so many pupils failing, even when they are not deprived?
Policies that improve outcomes for the more successful pupils do not filter down to the less successful. But there is no incentive to reverse this approach, since a culture of targets encourages schools to give up on pupils who will not achieve those targets. So failure for approximately a third of pupils is baked into the school system.
Why is this so important?
Education is one of the most important predictors of a young person’s life chances. It affects not only their future income and paid work prospects, but also their physical and mental health, their chances of a criminal conviction and the overall quality of their life, and their relationship with wider society.
What does “eligible for free school meals mean”?
Eligibility for free school meals is tightly controlled in England, so it is a reliable measure of child poverty. Nearly a quarter of pupils are eligible, and a quarter of all children are identified by the government as living in absolute poverty. That’s over two million children in both cases.
Why does this affect outcomes, when education is free?
A child’s school learning doesn’t take place in a vacuum. It is part of a connected package of life activities including eating, sleeping, socialising and playing. These elements all work together in child development. School learning is bound to suffer if other aspects of a child’s life are compromised by a shortage of money.
Why are so many pupils failing, even when they are not deprived?
Policies that improve outcomes for the more successful pupils do not filter down to the less successful. But there is no incentive to reverse this approach, since a culture of targets encourages schools to give up on pupils who will not achieve those targets. So failure for approximately a third of pupils is baked into the school system.
Why is this so important?
Education is one of the most important predictors of a young person’s life chances. It affects not only their future income and paid work prospects, but also their physical and mental health, their chances of a criminal conviction and the overall quality of their life, and their relationship with wider society.
What does “eligible for free school meals mean”?
Eligibility for free school meals is tightly controlled in England, so it is a reliable measure of child poverty. Nearly a quarter of pupils are eligible, and a quarter of all children are identified by the government as living in absolute poverty. That’s over two million children in both cases.
Why does this affect outcomes, when education is free?
A child’s school learning doesn’t take place in a vacuum. It is part of a connected package of life activities including eating, sleeping, socialising and playing. These elements all work together in child development. School learning is bound to suffer if other aspects of a child’s life are compromised by a shortage of money.
Why are so many pupils failing, even when they are not deprived?
Policies that improve outcomes for the more successful pupils do not filter down to the less successful. But there is no incentive to reverse this approach, since a culture of targets encourages schools to give up on pupils who will not achieve those targets. So failure for approximately a third of pupils is baked into the school system.
Why is this so important?
Education is one of the most important predictors of a young person’s life chances. It affects not only their future income and paid work prospects, but also their physical and mental health, their chances of a criminal conviction and the overall quality of their life, and their relationship with wider society.