A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of presenting at my first national education conference. The National Pupil Premium Conference, organised by Government Events, brought together school leaders, researchers, practitioners and educational organisations from across the country to discuss one of the most important challenges facing education today: improving outcomes for disadvantaged students. LikeContinueContinue reading “What I learned from my first conference”
Tag Archives: cpd
The gap begins before most schools realise
By the end of Reception, disadvantaged pupils are already 4.6 months behind their peers. By the end of primary school, that has grown to 10.1 months. By GCSE, it reaches 17.9 months. For pupils who are persistently disadvantaged, the gap exceeds 21 months. This is perhaps the most important message from the recent EPI andContinueContinue reading “The gap begins before most schools realise”
Why Consistency Matters More Than Intervention
The problem with fragmented improvement One of the biggest mistakes I think schools can make when trying to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students is assuming the solution lies in adding more intervention.More revision.More support sessions.More strategies.More initiatives.More programmes.And all of these things can have value.But increasingly, I think many schools suffer less from a lackContinueContinue reading “Why Consistency Matters More Than Intervention”
Educational Disadvantage Is Not a Competition
The publication of the Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes should prompt serious reflection across education. Not because the issue is new.It is not.For years, the data has shown that disadvantaged white British pupils are among the lowest-attaining groups in the English education system. What this report does, however, is bring together theContinueContinue reading “Educational Disadvantage Is Not a Competition”
Falling Rolls, Rising Need: Why Curriculum Access Matters More Than Ever
Recent analysis from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) suggests that falling pupil numbers are increasingly affecting schools serving disadvantaged communities, raising important questions about funding, staffing and educational provision. The latest Department for Education data shows that primary pupil numbers have fallen by almost 5% since 2019, with further declines expected over theContinueContinue reading “Falling Rolls, Rising Need: Why Curriculum Access Matters More Than Ever”
Has the Pupil Premium Actually Worked? What the Research Really Says
For over a decade, the Pupil Premium has been the centrepiece of efforts to close the attainment gap.Billions have been spent.Strategies have been implemented.Accountability has increased.And yet, the same question continues to surface:👉 Has it actually worked?The answer, according to the research, is not straightforward.It is neither a clear success nor a clear failure.Instead, itContinueContinue reading “Has the Pupil Premium Actually Worked? What the Research Really Says”
The Pupil Premium Is About to Change. But Are We Focusing on the Right Problem?
There is a significant shift coming in how disadvantage is identified and funded in schools.On paper, it looks like progress:More pupils identified as disadvantagedA broader definition of needA move towards more targeted fundingBut beneath the headlines, something more fundamental is happening.The system is starting to move away from the simple model we’ve relied on forContinueContinue reading “The Pupil Premium Is About to Change. But Are We Focusing on the Right Problem?”
A Practical Framework for Closing the Pupil Premium Gap in History (A guide you can actually use)
The problem Most schools know the Pupil Premium gap exists.Most schools are doing something about it.But there is still a missing piece:There is no clear, classroom-level playbook for improving outcomes for disadvantaged students.Research highlights that much of the focus has been on whole-school strategy and funding, rather than what teachers actually do day-to-day in classrooms.ThisContinueContinue reading “A Practical Framework for Closing the Pupil Premium Gap in History (A guide you can actually use)”
What I Got Wrong About Closing the Pupil Premium Gap
I got it wrong. For a long time, I thought intervention would close the gap. It didn’t.When I first took on my role, I believed something that, on the surface, seemed logical:If we identify disadvantaged students early and provide targeted support, the gap will close.So I focused on:- Intervention- Revision sessions- Extra support at keyContinueContinue reading “What I Got Wrong About Closing the Pupil Premium Gap”
Why KS3 is the Key to GCSE Success for Disadvantaged Students in History
The biggest mistake we make In many schools, GCSE outcomes are treated as a Key Stage 4 problem.When results are disappointing, the response is often:- More intervention- More revision sessions- More exam practiceBut by the time students reach Year 10 or 11, much of the gap is already set.GCSE outcomes are not built in KS4,ContinueContinue reading “Why KS3 is the Key to GCSE Success for Disadvantaged Students in History”