Large gaps in GCSE grades for pupils in Blackpool
The gap between poorer pupils' GCSE grades and those of their peers has stalled for over a decade since 2011, new analysis has found.
In 2020, the average GCSE grade gap between pupils trapped in long-term poverty - those eligible for free school meals for 80% of their schooling or more - and their peers was 1.6 grades.
While this shows awarding teacher-assessed grades in 2020 did not disadvantage poorer pupils - the gap was 1.62 grades when public exams went ahead in 2019 - it also reveals there has been no progress in closing the gap since 2011.
The report, from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), also found the grade gap between disadvantaged pupils - those eligible for free school meals at any time over the last six years - had stalled, with a gap of 1.24 grades in 2020 compared with 1.26 in 2019, and little progress has been made in closing it since 2017.
The researchers found there has been a "marked increase" in long-term poverty among poorer pupils in recent years.
In 2020, 39% of poorer pupils had been eligible for free school meals for 80% of their schooling or longer, up from 35% in 2017,
The proportion of pupils who were "always" disadvantaged - those on free school meals for 100% of their schooling - had also risen from 19% of all disadvantaged students in 2017 to 25% in 2020.
The report also found considerable gaps between different geographic areas, with the largest grade gaps in 2020 seen in Knowsley (1.76 grades), Blackpool (1.69), Salford (1.66), Derby (1.65) and Sheffield (1.61), all of which were identified as education "cold spots" in the Government's Levelling Up White Paper, with the exception of Sheffield.
Areas with the largest disadvantage gaps were more likely to have a high proportion of pupils in long-term poverty, and for several areas, over half of their disadvantaged pupils fell into this group, such as: Kirklees (58%), Sunderland (54%), Halton (53%), Tower Hamlets (53%), Middlesbrough (53%), Knowsley (52%), Kingston-Upon-Hull (52%), and Hartlepool (51%).
The report also found that poorer pupils in 16-19 education were on average the equivalent of 3.1 A level grades behind wealthier peers across their best three qualifications in 2020, compared to 2.9 grades in 2019.
For pupils aged 16-19 in long-term poverty, the gap stood at 4 grades in 2020, compared to 3.7 in 2019.
Emily Hunt, a co-author of the report and associate director at EPI, said that the paper showed there had been a "decade of failure" when it came to improving attainment for pupils in long-term poverty.
"Our research shows that despite Government policy interventions, there has been a decade of failure to improve the relative outcomes of students in long-term poverty - with these students still trailing their better-off peers by over a full grade and a half at GCSE," she said.
"Not only has this education gap failed to narrow since 2011, but the proportion of poorer students falling into long-term poverty is now on the rise," she added.
Ms Hunt said that after "two years of disruption from the pandemic" it was "particularly critical" for the Government to act to "reverse this tide of stagnating social mobility".
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Since 2011, we have narrowed the attainment gap between students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers at every stage of education up to the pandemic.
"We are committed to levelling up opportunities for all, and last week set out plans to ensure we give every child and adult the education and skills they need to fulfil their potential, no matter where they live.
"Our new Education Investment Areas will target support where education outcomes have been weakest - including Knowsley, Blackpool and Salford. We are also investing £2.6 billion next year in the pupil premium so schools can specifically help those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and much of the support from our £5 billion education recovery plan is aimed at those who need it most."