An article examined the black supplementary school movement and its relationship to the state education system in England.
Source: Jessica Gerrard, 'Self help and protest: the emergence of black supplementary schooling in England', Race, Ethnicity and Education, Volume 16 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A study questioned whether the personal statement, in its existing form, was an appropriate and fair indicator of university applicants' potential. Applicants from private schools were more likely to submit carefully crafted statements, written in an academically appropriate way, and filled with high-status, relevant activities. State school applicants, by contrast, appeared to receive less help composing their statement, and often struggled to draw on suitable work and life experience.
Source: Steven Jones, The Personal Statement: A fair way to assess university applicants?, Sutton Trust
Links: Report | Sutton Trust press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper said that state school students in England with university-educated parents were five times more likely to reach higher education than those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Source: John Jerrim, Anna Vignoles, and Ross Finnie, University Access for Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Children: A comparison across English speaking countries, Working Paper 12-11, Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education (University of London)
Links: Paper | IOE press release | Nuffield Foundation press release | Times Higher Education report
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the factors that affected progression to university education across Europe. In some countries progression had been a smooth process over a number of decades, whereas in others widening participation in higher education had been only a recent phenomenon.
Source: Marios Vryonides and Iasonas Lamprianou, 'Education and social stratification across Europe', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 33 Issue 1/2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the effect of multiple independent socio-economic risk factors in shaping the transition from school to work; and identified potential protective factors enabling young people to 'beat the odds'. Some young people exposed to even severe socio-economic risks avoided being NEET (not in education, employment or training). Factors that appeared to reduce the cumulative risk effect included prior attainment, educational aspirations, and school engagement, as well as the social mix of the school environment.
Source: Kathryn Duckworth and Ingrid Schoon, 'Beating the odds: exploring the impact of social risk on young people's school-to-work transitions during recession in the UK', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 222 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined whether middle-class parents were keen to secure a middle-class peer group for their children at primary-school level. Middle-class parents of pre-school children were found to gravitate toward schools where most children were perceived to come from middle-class, white, English-speaking backgrounds.
Source: Kim James Vowden, 'Safety in numbers? Middle-class parents and social mix in London primary schools', Journal of Education Policy, Volume 27 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A survey examined the reasons for the university choices made by young people who had gained at least three 'B' grades at A level. 73 per cent of high achievers at private schools applied to the most selective universities, compared with 53 per cent at grammar schools and just 42 per cent at other state schools and colleges. High achievers who chose not to apply to the most selective universities were influenced by concerns about the cost of living, distance from home, and job prospects.
Source: Tracking the Decision-Making of High Achieving Higher Education Applicants, Research Report 86, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report | Sutton Trust press release | Offa press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Nov
An article said that educational expansion in Europe had enhanced inequality of opportunity for tertiary education among cohorts born in the 1950s and 1970s, and enhanced inequality of opportunity at the secondary level for the cohort of the 1970s. Privileged social strata were better poised to benefit from educational expansion than lower strata. Expansion was not necessarily an effective tool for the reduction of inequality of educational opportunity.
Source: Eyal Bar Haim and Yossi Shavit, 'Expansion and inequality of educational opportunity: a comparative study', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 31
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper provided an overview of the levels of educational underachievement in Northern Ireland, considered contributory factors, and discussed approaches to addressing it. Northern Ireland had a 'long tail' of underachievement. Socio-economic background was a key predictor of academic performance. The evidence suggested that a multi-faceted approach was required to address underachievement.
Source: Caroline Perry, Underachievement, Research Paper 576-12, Northern Ireland Assembly
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A report said that just 10 private schools produced over 10 per cent of the country's professional elites. 44 per cent of leading people in the professions went to a private school.
Source: The Educational Backgrounds of the Nation's Leading People, Sutton Trust
Links: Report | Sutton Trust press release | BBC report | Daily Mail report | Telegraph report | Times Higher Education report
Date: 2012-Nov
Two linked studies examined the impact of new support arrangements for higher education students in England. The participation gap between low-income and high-income groups had been narrowing: but a scholarship scheme designed to help those on the lowest incomes was too complicated. Universities' financial support for poorer students varied substantially, and was more generous at the more prestigious institutions.
Source: Claire Crawford, Socio-Economic Gaps in HE Participation: How have they changed over time?, Briefing Note 133, Institute for Fiscal Studies | Haroon Chowdry, Lorraine Dearden, Wenchao Jin, and Barnaby Lloyd, Fees and Student Support under the New Higher Education Funding Regime: What are different universities doing?, Briefing Note 134, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Briefing Note 133 | Briefing Note 134 | IFS press release | ATL press release | Labour Party press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined how educational attitudes and aspirations among children aged 11-15 varied across the business cycle. The impact of the local unemployment rate on children's attitudes and aspirations varied significantly with parental education level and parental attitudes to education – children from highly educated families reacted more positively to low labour demand than those from less educated families. The aspirations of children from low socio-economic status backgrounds were therefore more adversely affected by recessions than those from higher-status backgrounds, representing a barrier to social mobility for a generation.
Source: Tina Rampino and Mark Taylor, Educational Aspirations and Attitudes over the Business Cycle, Working Paper 2012-26, Institute for Social and Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Working paper | Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined the relationship between schooling expansion and educational inequality in European countries over different birth cohorts. There was evidence of a non-linear relationship between expansion and inequality of education. The length of compulsory education affected inequality only through its effect on average education, while school tracking shaped inequality independently of the level of education.
Source: Elena Meschi and Francesco Scervini, Expansion of Schooling and Educational Inequality in Europe: Educational Kuznets curve revisited, Discussion Paper 61, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the relations between gender, parental education, ability, and educational achievement, focusing on the way in which gender and parental education interacted with ability to contribute to a pupil's secondary school qualifications. In both academically selective and non-selective schools, high ability was a quasi-sufficient condition for obtaining certain levels of qualification: but at lower levels of ability, either being female or having highly educated parents (or both) had to be present too. Boys without highly educated parents performed less well than girls from a similar background.
Source: Judith Glaesser and Barry Cooper, 'Gender, parental education, and ability: their interacting roles in predicting GCSE success', Cambridge Journal of Education, Volume 42 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A new book examined the role of higher education in supporting social mobility, from the viewpoint of students who had been to university during the previous 50 years. It analyzed these graduates' perceptions of the changes to their lives and social position.
Source: Mary Stuart, Social Mobility and Higher Education: The life experiences of first generation entrants in higher education, Trentham Books
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Nov
A report said that it was too early to judge whether the coalition government's higher education reforms had discouraged students in general, and disadvantaged students in particular. There was no evidence to date that they had. But although increased demand might be a necessary condition for widening participation and fair access, it was not sufficient: both the total number of funded places, and the way they were distributed, might turn out to be more important than any changes in demand.
Source: John Thompson and Bahram Bekhradnia, The Impact on Demand of the Government's Reforms of Higher Education, Higher Education Policy Institute
Links: Report | HEPI press release
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper examined the association between education policies (such as ability grouping and pre-school attendance) and equity for children of different abilities in developed (OECD) countries. In most countries the association was evenly distributed across the ability distribution. In some countries, however, the policy variables had an especially stratifying or an especially equalizing effect. Policy-makers needed to take into account the fact that ability grouping or participation in pre-primary education might have a different effect at different ends of the performance distribution.
Source: Anna-Elisabeth Thum, Miroslav Beblavy, and Galina Potjagailo, Do the Effects of Pro-Equality Education Policies Differ Across the Performance Distribution?, Working Paper 4.5.3, NEUJOBS Research Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
An article said that paternal occupation was a poor predictor of young people's intended participation in higher education, contrary to previous studies.
Source: Nigel Charles Kettley and Joan Whitehead, 'Remapping the "landscape of choice": patterns of social class convergence in the psycho-social factors shaping the higher education choice process', Educational Review, Volume 64 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
The report of an independent inquiry said that postgraduate qualifications were increasingly becoming the norm for many professions and careers. But higher undergraduate fees and banks' unwillingness to offer loans made this level of study less and less accessible for poorer or debt-averse students.
Source: Postgraduate Education, Higher Education Commission
Links: Report | 1994 Group press release | RCUK press release | Sutton Trust press release | UCU press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Oct
An article examined efforts since 1945 to widening participation in higher education. It looked at the evidence for four key target groups – women, lower socio-economic groups, mature adults, and ethnic minorities – to produce an overall assessment of what had been achieved, and what remained to be done. Although progress in the recruitment of women, mature adults, and ethnic minorities had been substantial – albeit with some qualifications – it had been much less so for lower socio-economic groups.
Source: Malcolm Tight, 'Widening participation: a post-war scorecard', British Journal of Educational Studies, Volume 60 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper said that preferences for educational redistribution in developed countries were not driven by income but by level of education. Although income and preferences for educational redistribution followed the conventional story – rich people wanted less spending – the level of education associate positively with spending on education, which effect was altered by the selectivity of the education system. Highly educated citizens were relatively more likely to support government spending on education in countries where the system was selective compared with highly educated people's preferences in countries with comprehensive systems.
Source: Daniel Horn, Educational Selectivity and Preferences about Education Spending, Discussion Paper 43, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper said that three components of social origins – parental class, parental status, and parental education – had independent and distinctive effects on children's educational attainment, and ones that persisted or changed in differing ways across cohorts. If parental class were taken as the sole indicator of social origins, as it commonly was, class effects would be overestimated – they would pick up different but associated social origin effects, while social origin effects in total would be underestimated.
Source: Erzsebet Bukodi and John Goldthorpe, Decomposing 'Social Origins': The effects of parents' class, status and education on the educational attainment of their children, Barnett Papers in Social Research 2/2012, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A report examined the risks of racial inequalities in education being exacerbated by the expansion of 'free schools' in England. It said that there had been a lack of engagement with minority-ethnic communities in the programme, and that there was a lack of transparency around it. The impact of free schools on minority-ethnic communities had been insufficiently evaluated. There were risks that admissions policies in use by free schools could lead to indirect discrimination. Many free schools being established with the aim of improving education in deprived urban areas were not fully benefiting socio-economically disadvantaged communities.
Source: Eleanor Stokes, Elizabeth Walker, Emma Rees, Fahmida Sultana, Manuel Casertano, and Barbara Nea, Inclusive Schools: The Free Schools Monitoring Project, Race on the Agenda
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper reviewed the economic literature on the impacts of education on intergenerational inequality persistency. Family backgrounds had a 'crucial impact' on educational attainment in all developed countries.
Source: Nathalie Chusseau and Joel Hellier (with Bassem Ben-Halima), Education, Intergenerational Mobility and Inequality, Working Paper 2012-261, ECINEQ: Society for the Study of Economic Inequality
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
A survey found that fear of debt might be deterring large numbers of young people from applying to university. State school pupils in England and Wales from single-parent families were nearly three times as likely to say that their family could not afford for them to be a student as those living in two-parent homes.
Source: Ipsos MORI Young People Omnibus Survey, (2011/2012), Sutton Trust
Links: Report | Sutton Trust press release | UCU press release | Public Finance report | Times Higher Education report
Date: 2012-Sep
A report said that additional funding dedicated to improving poor children's educational outcomes was not always being spent in the most effective way. The levels and types of 'uplift' funding could vary considerably. In particular, funding was available to support the most disadvantaged children at age 2 and at school age: but there was no similar funding available for children aged 3-4. The report also expressed concern over whether funding was targeted most efficiently to reach all disadvantaged children, spent on the pupils in the way that was intended, and its use monitored over time to determine its effectiveness.
Source: Jane Evans, Ivan Mathers, and Jonathan Rallings, Mind the Gap: Ensuring all disadvantaged children benefit from the pupil premium, Barnardo's
Links: Report | Barnardos press release | Nursery World report
Date: 2012-Sep
A study found that there was a positive raw association in England between the level of school disadvantage and the turnover rate of teachers. This association diminished after controlling for school, pupil, and local teacher labour market characteristics: but it was not eliminated. The remaining association was largely accounted for by teacher characteristics, with the poorer schools hiring much younger teachers on average. This 'market equilibrium allocation' either derived from the preferences of young teachers or reflected the low market attractiveness of disadvantaged schools.
Source: Rebecca Allen, Simon Burgess, and Jennifer Mayo, The Teacher Labour Market, Teacher Turnover and Disadvantaged Schools: New evidence for England, Working Paper 12/294, Centre for Market and Public Organisation (University of Bristol)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A report highlighted significant disparities in education opportunities and results across – and within – European Union member states. There appeared to be a north-south divide in educational attainment. The lowest rates of low-qualified people were mostly found in the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Geographical inequalities in education persisted despite commitments by member states to promote equity in education and training. The report called on EU countries to work harder to reduce these inequalities.
Source: Dimitris Ballas, Ruth Lupton, Dimitris Kavroudakis, Benjamin Hennig, Vassiliki Yiagopoulou, Roger Dale, and Danny Dorling, Mind the Gap: Education inequality across EU regions, European Commission
Links: Report | European Commission press release
Date: 2012-Sep
A new book examined the effect of resource constraints (time, money, and childcare) on the extent to which lone parent learners were able to engage fully with the opportunities offered by higher education participation.
Source: Tamsin Hinton-Smith, Lone Parents' Experiences as Higher Education Students, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Sep
A report by an all-party group of MPs made a series of recommendations for how the care system could do more to support the educational needs of looked-after children and care leavers. It proposed a 'pupil premium plus' – an additional £1,000 payment to support the costs of education for looked-after children.
Source: Education Matters in Care: A report by the independent cross-party inquiry into the educational attainment of looked after children in England, All Party Parliamentary Group for Looked After Children and Care Leavers
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined the mandatory bursary system designed to widen participation in higher education among students from lower socio-economic groups. There was evidence suggesting that students targeted for bursaries were unresponsive to financial inducements, and placed a high priority on provision that was local and 'socially comfortable'. This was a fatal flaw in bursaries as a policy tool, contributing to slow progress in widening participation and promoting fair access.
Source: Neil Harrison and Sue Hatt, 'Expensive and failing? The role of student bursaries in widening participation and fair access in England', Studies in Higher Education, Volume 37 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Sep
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that many schools in England did not disaggregate the 'pupil premium' from their main budget, and said that they were using the funding to maintain or enhance existing provision rather than to put in place new activity. Half of the schools surveyed said that the pupil premium was making little or no difference to the way they worked. The most common use of the pupil premium funding was to pay for teaching assistants.
Source: The Pupil Premium: How schools are using the pupil premium funding to raise achievement for disadvantaged pupils, HMI 120197, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | ATL press release | Barnardos press release | Catholic Church press release | Childrens Society press release | NAHT press release | NASUWT press release | NUT press release | SFT press release | Sutton Trust press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Sep
A report examined the performance of education systems among developed countries. It said that governments should increase investment in early childhood programmes and maintain 'reasonable' costs for higher education in order to reduce inequality, boost social mobility, and improve people's employment prospects. Schools in the United Kingdom were among the most socially segregated in the developed world.
Source: Education at a Glance 2012: OECD indicators, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Report | OECD press release | EIS press release | NASUWT press release | NUT press release | Russell Group press release | UCU press release | University Alliance press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Times Higher Education report
Date: 2012-Sep
A report said that universities could do more to support disadvantaged communities by using their distinctive position as leading local institutions and by recognizing the role that they could play as major local employers.
Source: Fred Robinson, Ian Zass-Ogilvie, and Ray Hudson, How Can Universities Support Disadvantaged Communities?, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2012-Sep
A report presented the findings from a study that investigated the extent of parental worklessness in families with young and teenage children, and how it affected children's cognitive ability, education attainment, behaviours, attitude to school, academic aspirations, and experience of the transition from school to work.
Source: Matt Barnes, Victoria Brown, Samantha Parsons, Andy Ross, Ingrid Schoon, and Anna Vignoles, Intergenerational Transmission of Worklessness: Evidence from the Millennium Cohort and the Longitudinal Study of Young People In England, Research Report 234, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined the relationship between educational homogamy and educational mobility in 29 European countries. For all countries analyzed, relative educational heterogamy was a stronger indicator of educational inequalities than relative educational mobility.
Source: Tomas Katrnak, Petr Fucik, and Ruud Luijkx, 'The relationship between educational homogamy and educational mobility in 29 European countries', International Sociology, Volume 27 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined how macro-societal conditions determined educational inequality between migrants and natives in the western European Union member states. Majoritarian democracies were more effective than consensual democracies in equalizing educational opportunities between immigrants and natives.
Source: Raphaela Schlicht-Schmalzle and Sabrina Moller, 'Macro-political determinants of educational inequality between migrants and natives in western Europe', West European Politics, Volume 35 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
A report said that inequality in educational provision was set to increase for minority-ethnic pupils. Deep cuts to local authority spending, and the decision by the coalition government to end ring-fenced funding for the ethnic minority achievement grant, would have a major adverse impact on the help that schools could give to minority-ethnic pupils.
Source: Ethnic Minority Achievement, National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers
Links: Report | NASUWT press release
Date: 2012-Aug
A report examined application behaviour in the 2012 university admissions cycle compared with previous years. The application rate in England (where a rise in tuition fees came into effect) had fallen by around 1 percentage point, compared with a recent trend of annual increases of around 1 percentage point: this suggested that around 1 applicant in 20 who might have been expected to apply in 2012 did not do so – a fall of 5 per cent. Application rates for young people from more advantaged backgrounds fell by more than those from less advantaged backgrounds: but rates for more disadvantaged applicants had been growing at a higher level in recent cycles – taking this into account, the proportional decline was similar across these backgrounds.
Source: How Have Applications for Full-Time Undergraduate Higher Education in the UK Changed in 2012?, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
Links: Report | UCAS press release | Labour Party press release | Universities UK press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Times Higher Education report
Date: 2012-Jul
The first report was published from a six-year study designed to evaluate children s centres in England. 40 per cent of centres reported that cuts had been made in Session 2010–11.
Source: Emily Tanner, Maya Agur, David Hussey, and James Hall (with Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Teresa Smith, Maria Evangelou, and A Flint), Evaluation of Children s Centres in England (ECCE) Strand 1: First Survey of Children s Centre Leaders in the Most Deprived Areas, Research Report RR230, Department for Education
Date: 2012-Jul
A survey highlighted 'a picture of resilience and creativity' among children's centres – despite significant cuts within local authority budgets and the removal of the dedicated Sure Start grant. Local authorities had seen children's centres as a positive investment and sought to retain them where possible. Nonetheless, the number of children's centres had fallen by 281 (7.7 per cent) between 2010 and 2011, to 3,350.
Source: Sure Start Children s Centres Census 2012: Developments, trends and analysis of Sure Start children s centres over the last year and the implications for the future, 4Children
Links: Report | 4Children press release | Labour Party press release | Nursery World report
Date: 2012-Jul
A report identified the most important outcomes that children s centres should be striving for in order to give all children positive early years experiences. It called for a renewed focus on parenting and improving parents lives.
Source: Anne Pordes Bowers and Jason Strelitz (with Jessica Allen and Angela Donkin), An Equal Start: Improving outcomes in children s centres – An evidence review, UCL Institute of Health Equity
Links: Report | Summary | IHE press release | 4Children press release | NLT press release | BBC report
Date: 2012-Jul
The inspectorate for education and children's services announced that it would carry out a review of access and achievement in education, examining the issues facing deprived communities in England. The review would focus on why some children and young people were more affected by socio-economic and educational disadvantage than others. The review report would be published in May 2013.
Source: Press release 15 June 2012, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: OFSTED press release | NAHT press release | NUT press release | Teach First press release | BBC report | Nursery World report
Date: 2012-Jun
An article said that that there was a significant negative impact of fathers losing their jobs during the 1980s recession on both the family income and their children's exam results. The impact equated to their children obtaining half a GCSE grade less than those with fathers who remained in employment. There was also a small negative effect on their early employment experiences.
Source: Paul Gregg, Lindsey Macmillan, and Bilal Nasim, 'The impact of fathers' job loss during the recession of the 1980s on their children's educational attainment and labour market outcomes', Fiscal Studies, Volume 33 Issue 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Abstract | IFS press release
See also: Paul Gregg, Lindsey Macmillan, and Bilal Nasim, The Impact of Fathers Job Loss During the 1980s Recession on Their Child s Educational Attainment and Labour Market Outcomes, Working Paper 12/288, Centre for Market and Public Organisation (University of Bristol)
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined how socio-economic and educational inequalities shaped the micro-level association between individuals' income position and support for education spending in developed (OECD) countries. Higher levels of socio-economic inequality enhanced the conflict between high-income and low-income groups over public investments in education. By contrast, when access to higher levels of education was effectively restricted, rich people were more likely to support public education spending: this was because higher levels of educational stratification ensured that further public investments in education benefited them relatively more than poorer people, who in turn became less willing to support this kind of public spending.
Source: Marius Busemeyer, 'Inequality and the political economy of education: an analysis of individual preferences in OECD countries', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the role of maternal gender-role attitudes in explaining the differential educational expectations mothers had for their daughters and sons, and consequently their children's later educational outcomes and labour supply. Mothers' and children's gender-role attitudes, measured some 25 years apart, were significantly correlated, equally so for sons and daughters. Moreover, daughters were significantly more likely to continue school beyond the minimum school-leaving age, participate in the labour force, and work more hours, if their mothers had held non-traditional (pro-gender-equality) beliefs, even if they were not working themselves. By contrast there was no effect on sons' education outcomes and labour supply. Intergenerational transmission of non-traditional attitudes from mothers to their children explained a substantive part of gender inequalities in economic opportunities.
Source: David Johnston, Stefanie Schurer, and Michael Shields, Maternal Gender Role Attitudes, Human Capital Investment, and Labour Supply of Sons and Daughters, Discussion Paper 6656, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the financial implications of the higher education funding regime due to be introduced in English universities in September 2012. On average, total gross tuition fees would increase by over £15,000 per year as a result of the reforms: but students would be significantly better off while they studied due to the increased generosity of student support. The average graduate would be roughly £8,600 worse off over their lifetime, with the taxpayer saving around £3,000 per graduate overall. The new funding regime was more progressive than its predecessor: the poorest 29 per cent of graduates would be better off under the new system, while other graduates would be worse off. The richest 16 per cent of graduates would pay back more than they borrowed, while others would be subsidized. If prospective students from poorer backgrounds were aware of these facts, then, in theory, the new funding system should not dissuade them from applying to university – thus increasing social mobility in the long run. But this would require a lack of debt aversion among students from the poorest backgrounds, and the ability for the government and universities to provide students with clear information about the likely costs of going to university.
Source: Haroon Chowdry, Lorraine Dearden, Alissa Goodman, and Wenchao Jin, 'The distributional impact of the 2012-13 higher education funding reforms in England', Fiscal Studies, Volume 33 Issue 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Abstract | IFS press release
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the quest for more and more education and its implications for social mobility. It documented very rapid educational upgrading over the previous three decades, and showed that this rise had featured faster increases in education acquisition by people from relatively rich family backgrounds. At the same time, wage differentials for the more educated had risen. Putting these two together implied increasing within-generation inequality; and, by reinforcing already existing inequalities from the previous generation, this had hindered social mobility. The paper also highlighted the acquisition of postgraduate qualifications; gender differences; and the poor education performance of men at the lower end of the education distribution.
Source: Joanne Lindley and Stephen Machin, 'The quest for more and more education: implications for social mobility', Fiscal Studies, Volume 33 Issue 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Abstract | IFS press release | Guardian report
See also: Joanne Lindley and Stephen Machin, The Quest for More and More Education: Implications for Social Mobility, Discussion Paper 6581, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Date: 2012-Jun
Researchers evaluated a programme (2008-2011) designed to improve educational outcomes for young people and to tackle the cycle of disadvantage and underachievement in three urban areas in England. The attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals in the areas covered increased by more than the national figure: but attainment gaps between them and their peers narrowed only in some cases.
Source: Merryn Hutchings, Charley Greenwood, Sumi Hollingworth, Ayo Mansaray, and Anthea Rose (with Sarah Minty and Katie Glass), Evaluation of the City Challenge Programme, Research Report RR215, Department for Education
Date: 2012-Jun
An article said that the association between family background and high educational achievement was stronger in England than in other developed countries, and that there was little evidence that this had changed over time. However, socio-economic differences at the bottom of the achievement distribution were no more pronounced in England than elsewhere.
Source: John Jerrim, 'The socio-economic gradient in teenagers' literacy skills: how does England compare to other countries?', Fiscal Studies, Volume 33 Issue 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Abstract | IFS press release | IOE press release | BBC report | Telegraph report
See also: John Jerrim, The Socio-Economic Gradient in Teenagers' Literacy Skills: How Does England Compare to Other Countries?, Working Paper 12-04, Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education (University of London)
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper said that households in England were willing to pay for houses in the catchment area of primary and secondary schools with high academic achievement as measured by mean score – whereas the component of the 'value added' score indicating egalitarian education attainment was found to have zero and negative valuation at primary and secondary education levels respectively.
Source: Sofia Andreou and Panos Pashardes, Consumers Valuation of Level and Egalitarian Education Attainment of Schools in England, Discussion Paper 10-2012, Department of Economics, University of Cyprus
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the relationship between household income and university entry in terms of the likely consequences for social mobility. It drew on the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England to estimate the income gradients in university participation overall and at a group of high-status institutions (the Russell Group). It also investigated the extent to which these gaps might be driven by discrimination against students from lower-income backgrounds by universities, by considering income gradients in applications. Substantial differences were found in university entry overall, and at Russell Group institutions, between students from high- and low-income families. Most of the difference was driven by application decisions, suggesting that universities did not discriminate against students from poorer backgrounds: rather, those students were less likely to apply. Policies aimed at reducing the university participation gap at the point of entry were likely to face small rewards. More likely to be successful were policies aimed at closing the substantial applications gap, particularly by ensuring that students from poorer backgrounds had the necessary qualifications to apply.
Source: Jake Anders, 'The link between household income, university applications and university attendance', Fiscal Studies, Volume 33 Issue 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Links: Abstract | IFS press release
See also: Jake Anders, What's the Link Between Household Income and Going to University?, Working Paper 12-01, Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education (University of London)
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the changing distribution of minority-ethnic secondary school pupils in England over the period 1999-2009. Although there had been big increases in the percentage of ethnic minorities in those local authorities with existing concentrations, with ethnic minorities comprising over 50 per cent of pupils in 24 urban authorities in 2009, the dominant trend had been one of an increase in the percentage of minority-ethnic pupils across the board, combined with the increasing diffusion of ethnic minorities across all local authorities, rather than increasing concentration in a small number of authorities.
Source: Chris Hamnett, 'Concentration or diffusion? The changing geography of ethnic minority pupils in English secondary schools, 1999-2009', Urban Studies, Volume 49 Number 8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the impact of ethnicity, religion, and colour – along with residential segregation and socio-economic deprivation – on returns to education for men in England and Wales. Non-white groups were found to suffer an ethnic penalty. Although there was evidence to suggest that Muslim men might experience a greater penalty compared with some non-whites, other non-Muslim groups also faced penalties. Socio-economic difficulties faced by ethnic minorities were also linked to spatial segregation only when associated with high levels of area deprivation. This suggested that what mattered was not segregation as such, but whether or not it was associated with deprivation.
Source: Nabil Khattab, Ron Johnston, Ibrahim Sirkeci, and Tariq Modood, 'Returns on education amongst men in England and Wales: the impact of residential segregation and ethno-religious background', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 30 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A study found that there was a significant negative impact of fathers' losing their jobs during the 1980s recession on both the family income and their children's exam results. The impact equated to their children obtaining half a GCSE grade less than those with fathers who remained in employment. There was also a small negative effect on their early employment experiences.
Source: Paul Gregg, Lindsey Macmillan, and Bilal Nasim, The Impact of Fathers Job Loss During the 1980s Recession on Their Child s Educational Attainment and Labour Market Outcomes, Working Paper 12/288, Centre for Market and Public Organisation (University of Bristol)
Links: Paper | Bristol University press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-May
The coalition government published a discussion paper on increasing parental and community involvement in Sure Start children's centres.
Source: Increasing Parental and Community Involvement in Sure Start Children s Centres, Department for Education
Links: Paper | 4Children press release
Date: 2012-May
A paper said that spending cuts, efforts to protect low-income groups from some of their effects, and 'localized' decision-making were together leading to an increase in the numbers of means tests designed by lower-level institutions. It examined a case study of the effects of this, looking at the means-tested support that had been offered to students in England applying to go to university from autumn 2012, designed partly to offset the rise in general fees to or towards £9,000. Although using a common income definition, each university had designed its own system with widely varying criteria. Taken with the national maintenance grant system, these implied substantially different levels of support for students from lower- and higher-income families. Nearly all of them involved significant downward steps or 'cliff edges' in support at particular income levels, and high marginal withdrawal rates. As well as introducing extra complexity and questions of equity in treatment within student finance, this kind of development ran counter to other parts of government policy, such as universal credit, intended to smooth out and simplify means tests. As localization was pushed further, and more agencies became responsible for designing their own means tests, the lack of a system to take an overview of their overlapping effects, and to avoid undesirable design features, would became an increasing problem across social policy.
Source: John Hills and Ben Richards, Localisation and the Means Test: A case study of support for English students from autumn 2012, CASEpaper 160, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper | Abstract | Guardian report
Date: 2012-May
A report compared the socio-economic background of students in developed (OECD) countries who attended privately managed schools with that of those who attended public schools. In some countries there was little difference in the profiles. Although the prevalence of privately managed schools in a country was not related to socio-economic stratification within a school system, the level of public funding for privately managed schools was: the higher the proportion of public funding allocated to privately managed schools, the smaller the socio-economic divide. Those countries with narrow socio-economic stratification in their education systems maximized equity and social cohesion, and also performed well in performance surveys.
Source: Public and Private Schools: How management and funding relate to their socio-economic profile, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
A report examined education and social mobility in the four major English-speaking countries (United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, and Canada). Children from poorer families in Australia and Canada had a much greater chance of doing well at school, getting into university, and earning more in later life than children in the UK and USA. This was despite the fact that all four were among the countries with the biggest income gaps between the rich and poor – and despite the fact that the UK and USA also spent a greater proportion of their national income on schooling.
Source: Social Mobility and Education in the Four Major Anglophone Countries, Sutton Trust
Links: Report | Sutton Trust press release
Date: 2012-May
A report evaluated a project, led jointly by the black community and government, designed to raise the aspirations and achievements of black boys and young black men, particularly through the use of black male role models. Role modelling was found to be effective with all types of audiences, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or level of deprivation or exclusion (except for very young children). It had the greatest impact on (black) prisoners, adolescents and young adults, and parents. The role models themselves were convinced of the importance and effectiveness of the programme, despite concerns over its implementation: with stronger management, the programme could be a powerful force for change.
Source: ETHNOS Research & Consultancy, Evaluation of the REACH National Role Model Programme: Final Report, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Notes: Publication of this report was delayed by the coalition government.
Date: 2012-Apr
A report said that although the prevalence of privately managed schools in developed (OECD) countries was not related to socio-economic stratification within a school system, the level of public funding to privately managed schools was. The higher the proportion of public funding allocated to privately managed schools, the smaller the socio-economic divide between publicly and privately managed schools.
Source: Public and Private Schools: How management and funding relate to their socio-economic profile, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Apr
A report compared measures of the social attainment gap in education in England. Comparisons were made difficult by the use of different methodologies: but it could be shown that the size of attainment gaps measured using PISA points and GCSE grades were in fact the same.
Source: Emily Knowles and Helen Evans, PISA 2009: How Does the Social Attainment Gap in England Compare with Countries Internationally?, Research Report RR206, Department for Education
Notes: GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education; PISA = Programme for International Student Assessment
Date: 2012-Apr
A newspaper report said that at least 19 of the 24 'free' schools opened under the coalition government had taken a lower proportion of pupils with eligibility for free school meals than would be expected for an equivalent state-funded school in the same local authority.
Source: The Guardian, 23 April 2012
Links: Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2012-Apr
An article examined ethnic inequalities in educational attainment in England and Wales, focusing on the transitions at ages 16 and 18. Where ethnic groups were disadvantaged relative to the white majority, this was due to their lower average levels of performance. But conditional on their performance, minority-ethnic students were much more likely to choose to make educational transitions – suggesting that if performance effects were eliminated, all minority-ethnic groups would be advantaged relative to the white majority.
Source: Michelle Jackson, 'Bold choices: how ethnic inequalities in educational attainment are suppressed', Oxford Review of Education, Volume 38 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
A set of reports evaluated a programme that was designed to support able young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain a place at a top university. Young people in the programme identified a wide range of benefits accruing to them as a result of participation.
Source: Emily Lamont, Joshua Flack, and Anne Wilkin, An Evaluation of the Reach for Excellence Programme: Cohort One, National Foundation for Educational Research | Joshua Flack, Emily Lamont, and Anne Wilkin, Evaluation of the Reach for Excellence Programme, Cohort One: Longitudinal Report, National Foundation for Educational Research | Joshua Flack, Emily Lamont, and Anne Wilkin, An Evaluation of the Reach for Excellence Programme: Cohort Two, National Foundation for Educational Research | Kelly Kettlewell, Emily Lamont, and Helen Aston, Evaluation of the Reach for Excellence Programme: Longitudinal Report for Cohorts 1 and 2, National Foundation for Educational Research | Emily Lamont, Palak Mehta, Jane Nicholas, and Helen Aston, An Evaluation of the Reach for Excellence programme: Cohort 3 and School/College Link Views, National Foundation for Educational Research
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Report (3) | Report (4) | Report (5)
Date: 2012-Apr
Three linked reports challenged the view that raising aspirations and changing attitudes to school were a key way to improve the attainment of children from low-income families. Most young people (and their parents) attached great importance to education and wanted to go to university or to attain professional, managerial, and skilled jobs. Most did not believe that not working was acceptable, and also had realistic ambitions and expectations for the future.
Source: Colleen Cummings, Karen Laing, James Law, Janice McLaughlin, Ivy Papps, Liz Todd, and Pam Woolner, Can Changing Aspirations and Attitudes Impact on Educational Attainment? A review of interventions, Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Stephen Gorard, Beng Huat See, and Peter Davies, The Impact of Attitudes and Aspirations on Educational Attainment and Participation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Charlotte Carter-Wall and Grahame Whitfield, The Role of Aspirations, Attitudes and Behaviour in Closing the Educational Attainment Gap, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Report (3) | JRF press release | Newcastle University press release
Date: 2012-Apr
A study found that a greater ethnic diversity of school populations in secondary education hampered the educational performance of students with an immigrant background, but did not significantly affect that of native students. The socio-cultural diversity of schools had no effect on educational performance, although the average parental socio-cultural status did. A higher share of students of non-Islamic Asian origin in a school increased the educational performance of both native and immigrant students of other origins in that school. Students originating from Islamic countries had substantially lower language scores than did equivalent students with an immigrant background from other regions: this could not be explained by individual socio-economic backgrounds, school characteristics, or educational systems.
Source: Jaap Dronkers and Rolf van der Velden, Positive But Also Negative Effects of Ethnic Diversity in Schools on Educational Performance? An empirical test using PISA data, Discussion Paper 11/12, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (University College London)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Apr
A report published by the Church of England said that Church schools were 'at the heart of the nation' and should robustly assert their Christian ethos and foundation. The challenge for Church schools was to maintain their distinctive Christian character in an increasingly fragmented education system and amid strong attacks from secularists. 200 more Church schools should be created over the next five years.
Source: The Church School of the Future Review, Church of England
Links: Report | C of E press release | Accord Coalition press release | BHA press release | NSS press release | BBC report | Ekklesia report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined patterns of admission for cohorts of pupils entering state-funded secondary schools in London during 2003-2008 by reference to indices of local social segregation. Sizeable differences were found in the proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals recruited by apparently competing schools, with selective schools and faith schools under-recruiting such pupils.
Source: Richard Harris, 'Local indices of segregation with application to social segregation between London s secondary schools, 2003-08/09', Environment and Planning A, Volume 44 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
A Conservative-controlled county council voted to allow the creation of two 'satellite' grammar schools linked to existing schools in the county – the first new selective grammar schools since the nationwide move to non-selective comprehensive schools in the 1960s and 1970s. The council exploited a provision in the new admissions code for England brought in by the coalition government in February 2012, giving greater freedom to popular schools to expand.
Source: The Guardian, 29 March 2012
Links: Guardian report | Admissions code
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined the policy and practice of widening participation in higher education.
Source: Penny Burke, The Right to Higher Education: Beyond widening participation, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined educational equality among Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children and young people. It considered some of the efforts that had been made to improve outcomes, including the emerging policies of the coalition government, and attempted to assess their likely impact on equalities.
Source: Brian Foster and Peter Norton, 'Educational equality for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people in the UK', Equal Rights Review, Volume 8
Links: Article
Date: 2012-Mar
A paper examined the association between household income and university entry. Although those in the top income quintile group were more likely than those in the bottom quintile group to attend university, much of this gap was explained by earlier educational outcomes. Policies aimed at reducing the university participation gap at point of entry faced small rewards: greater success might be achieved by policies aimed at closing the application gap, for example encouraging a wider cross-section of the population to apply, and ensuring that they had the necessary qualifications.
Source: Jake Anders, What's the Link Between Household Income and Going to University?, Working Paper 12-01, Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education (University of London)
Links: Paper | IOE press release
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined ways of reducing marginalization among pupils in educational contexts, and of including them in the academic and social experiences that schools provided.
Source: Kyriaki Messiou, Confronting Marginalisation in Education: A framework for promoting inclusion, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined some of the common assertions made in the public debate about the merits and disadvantages of faith schools, and tested them against actual research findings. There was a growing body of evidence showing that existing policy and practice in relation to faith schools created social division, and that faith schools needed to do more to respect the rights and beliefs of staff, pupils, and their families.
Source: Paul Pettinger, 'The evidence base on the effects of policy and practice in faith schools', FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, Volume 54 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
Researchers examined how different phases of education, especially secondary school, were related to students' attainment, social behaviour, and dispositions at age 14, and the factors that predicted developmental change. It considered the influence of families and communities in addition to that of the schools themselves. Differences in academic attainment and social-behavioural development related to background emerged early (at age 3) and remained fairly stable to age 14. Students who experienced multiple disadvantage in the early years had an increased risk of poorer social-behavioural development and lower attainment at age 14. There was an increasing, though not strong, neighbourhood effect: higher levels of deprivation among children aged under 16 in a local area predicted poorer attainment and social behaviour.
Source: Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Pam Sammons, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, and Brenda Taggart (with Katalin Toth, Rebecca Smees, Diana Draghici, Aziza Mayo, and Wesley Welcomme), Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education 3-14 Project (EPPSE 3-14): Report from the Key Stage 3 Phase – Influences on Student s Development from Age 11-14, Research Report RR202, Department for Education
Links: Report | Brief | IOE press release
Date: 2012-Mar
An article said that black Caribbean students were systematically under-represented in entry to the higher tiers of national mathematics and science tests at age 14 relative to their white British peers. This gap persisted after controls for prior attainment, socio-economic variables, and a wide range of pupil, family, school, and neighbourhood factors. Differential entry to test tiers highlighted teacher expectation effects that might contribute to the achievement gap.
Source: Steve Strand, 'The white British-Black Caribbean achievement gap: tests, tiers and teacher expectations', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 38 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper said that differences in culture and social norms were crucial determinants in understanding gender differences in educational test scores in advanced (OECD) countries. Girls performed relatively better in both maths and reading in societies where gender equality was enhanced, and the effect varied over the distribution of scores. There was substantial evidence for the intergenerational transmission of gender role attitudes, especially from mothers to daughters, since the performance of girls – but not that of boys – was better in families where the mother worked outside the home.
Source: Ainara Gonzalez de San Roman and Sara de la Rica Goiricelaya, Gender Gaps in PISA Test Scores: The impact of social norms and the mother s transmission of role attitudes, Discussion Paper 6338, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
A report said that almost 1 in every 5 students in developed (OECD) countries did not reach a basic minimum level of skills. In addition, students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds were twice as likely to have low performance. Lack of fairness and inclusion could lead to school failure, with the result that 1 in every 5 young adults on average dropped out before completing upper secondary education. The highest-performing education systems combined quality with equity, and governments should invest more in disadvantaged schools and students.
Source: Equity and Quality in Education: Supporting disadvantaged students and schools, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Summary | OECD press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined why parents were willing to pay to get their children into what they perceived as better schools. Households were found to pay higher house prices for schools that were likely to raise their child's educational achievements – that is, high value-added schools. They paid an additional premium for a favourable distribution of pupil characteristics in these schools – represented by higher mean achievements at age 7.
Source: Stephen Gibbons, Stephen Machin, and Olmo Silva, Valuing School Quality Using Boundary Discontinuities, DP132, Centre for the Economics of Education (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
A study found that, following the announcement of a big increase in university tuition fees, secondary school pupils were much more likely to agree that they could be successful without qualifications. There was an impact on pupils across the secondary age range, including those as young as 11. This suggested that many young people might be considering alternatives to higher education to achieve their goals – and indeed whether such qualifications were really required at all.
Source: Tom Benton, Do I Really Need a Degree? The impact of tuition fee increases on young people s attitudes towards the need for qualifications, National Foundation for Educational Research
Date: 2012-Feb
An article said that the very characteristics of educational systems in Europe generated social segmentation. An egalitarian educational system resulted in two-segment stratification, quasi income equality, and no under-education trap: but an elitist system generated three segments, significant inequality, and a large under-education trap.
Source: Nathalie Chusseau and Joel Hellier, 'Educational systems, intergenerational mobility and social segmentation', European Journal of Comparative Economics, Volume 8 Number 2
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined various forms of educational inequality, and reviewed the available evidence for the impact of school-level policies in England on reducing the socio-economic gap. It discussed evaluation evidence under four main themes: school resources; market incentives; school autonomy; and pedagogical approaches.
Source: Stephen Machin and Sandra McNally, 'The evaluation of English education policies', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 219 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A report said that the coalition government's new 'Bursary Fund' was an 'unfair and totally inadequate' replacement for the education maintenance allowance. Lower levels of money and a lack of access to the fund – which was awarded partly on a discretionary basis – were both key factors that were forcing many young people to consider dropping out of education and training altogether due to financial hardship.
Source: Jane Evans, Staying the Course: Disadvantaged young people s experiences in the first term of the 16-19 Bursary Fund, Barnardo's
Links: Report | Barnardos press release | Labour Party press release | UCU press release | BBC report
Date: 2012-Feb
A report by a group of Conservative Party MPs said that a narrow focus on the university admission system risked diverting attention from the root causes of 'skewed' access. The most important interventions to promote wider access needed to be made throughout the secondary education system. It called for an urgent review of the powers and focus of the Office for Fair Access.
Source: Rob Wilson MP, Elizabeth Truss MP, Graham Stuart MP, and James Clappison MP, Achieving Fair Access: Removing barriers, realising potential, Fair Access to University Group
Links: Report | ATL press release | BBC report
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined the experiences of students in institutions of higher education from 'non-traditional' backgrounds.
Source: Tehmina Basit and Sally Tomlinson (eds.), Social Inclusion and Higher Education, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper reported the accounts of a sample of primary school headteachers in both highly advantaged and highly disadvantaged areas: the headteachers reflected on the nature of their school's intake and other local contextual factors, and their impact on day-to-day school processes and on decisions made about organization, curriculum, and pedagogy.
Source: Martin Thrupp and Ruth Lupton, The Impact of School Context: What headteachers say, CASEpaper 158, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
A think-tank report called for the creation of a network of 'military schools' to help tackle poor discipline and educational failure in the poorest communities. It said that 10 pilot academies should be established in regional 'NEET blackspots', leading to the development of a military academy in every local education authority.
Source: Phillip Blond and Patricia Kaszynska, Military Academies: Tackling disadvantage, improving ethos and changing outcome, ResPublica
Links: Report | ResPublica press release | NASUWT press release
Date: 2012-Jan
An article used Sure Start as a case study to explore the reasons why large-scale, complex, national initiatives often failed to adequately evidence the impact of their work. It explored a range of structural, cultural, methodological, and practical factors that had acted to inhibit effective evaluation of the impact of the initiative.
Source: Nigel Lloyd and Louise Harrington, 'The challenges to effective outcome evaluation of a national, multi-agency initiative: the experience of Sure Start', Evaluation: The International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, Volume 18 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined changes aimed at improving the chances of secondary school pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Elements of the coalition government's reforms that supported greater school autonomy, encouraged partnerships, and established national teaching schools were 'encouraging': but without proper regulation of the emerging education market, the gains were likely to unravel. Without some form of local co-ordination, poor attainment and attendance among some groups, segregation of some minority-ethnic students, and difficulties in teacher recruitment in schools facing challenging circumstances were all likely to continue.
Source: Mel Ainscow, Alan Dyson, Sue Goldrick, and Mel West, Developing Equitable Education Systems, Routledge
Links: Summary | Manchester University press release
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper examined the relationship between equality of opportunities and the characteristics of educational systems in advanced (OECD) countries. It cast doubt on the prominent role attributed by other studies to school composition effects.
Source: Michele Raitano and Francesco Vona, Assessing Students Equality of Opportunity in OECD Countries: The role of national and school-level policies, Working Paper 2011-17, French Economic Observatory (Sciences Po, Paris)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
