South West lower income household children have country's worst educational outcomes
New research has been published by the University of Exeter
A new report, out today (21 June), is warning that poorer children in the South West have the worst educational outcomes in the country.
The research, published by a team from the University of Exeter, shows that children from the lowest incomes backgrounds in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset perform worse than their peers elsewhere.
This is the second annual report of the South-West Social Mobility Commission, looking at the outcomes of pupils from early years right through to A-Levels.
They found a greater proportion of 5-year-olds lack school readiness, while 11 year-olds and 19-year olds are less likely to meet basic educational milestones at the end of primary school or 16-18 education.
It has also been revealed that our part of the world has the lowest proportion of disadvantaged students gaining Level 3 qualifications including A-levels, T-levels and equivalent qualifications, whilst pupils across the peninsula meanwhile are missing lessons at a higher rate than pupils anywhere else in the country.
The Commission was set up to tackle the poor education and early career outcomes faced by children and young people from under-resourced backgrounds, and brings together civic leaders and a dedicated strategy unit to drive action across the region to address these issues.
The report warns Torbay stands out as an area of particular concern, with children performing poorly from their early years and throughout primary and secondary level.
In the South West, 11 out of 23 constituencies were above the national average when the results for all pupils were considered, whilst St Ives had the lowest percentage of children eligible for free school meals meeting the expected level of development, standing at 37.6%.
'People and communities need to change'
Sir Michael Barber, Chair of the South-West Social Mobility Commission, said: “We will only succeed in changing these stubborn facts by mobilising the entire region. Its people and especially its leaders need to believe in the possibility of transformation. The economy of the South West is changing, now people and communities need to change too so they can seize the opportunities that will surely result.
“As a Commission we believe the human potential of the South-West region is great. We need to accelerate change and through vibrant and continuous advocacy, shift the culture.”
Out of the students eligible for free school means, back in the Autumn Term of 2023, pupils in the South West also had the highest absence rate in the country.
It also had the highest absence rate for students who are not eligible for free school meals.
They found:
- The South West has the lowest proportion of 5-year-olds, eligible for free school meals, reaching expected development levels (46% compared with 49.7% nationally)
- The South West has the lowest proportion of disadvantaged 11-year-olds reaching expected levels in reading, writing and maths (38% compared with 44% nationally)
- The South West has a lower proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSE - and is the third lowest performing of nine English regions
- The South West has the joint-lowest proportion of disadvantaged young people attaining level 2 qualifications in English and maths by age 19
- The South West has the sharpest year-on-year decrease in the proportion of disadvantaged young people obtaining a level 3 qualification by age 19
- The South West has the lowest proportion of disadvantaged young people going on to higher level (level 4+) qualifications – 51.2 per cent compared with 68.3 per cent nationally
'Truly shocking figures'
Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, said: “These are truly shocking figures, which must act as a wake-up call for politicians who often overlook the region’s stark social mobility challenges. The systemically poor outcomes are both unfair for those children and young people born by happenstance into less well-off families, and a serious challenge to the region’s future stability and prosperity. The region’s social mobility issues need to be addressed, urgently.
“Without concerted efforts by employers, education providers and other civic leaders to address the large and systemic barriers that currently exist in the region, accessing these opportunities remain difficult if not impossible. We need to level the playing-field at every opportunity, so that all young people have the knowledge, exposure, resources, guidance and connections to discover, access and then thrive within this new landscape.”
The report also highlights several examples of success in the region, including the The Cornwall Education Learning Trust, who boast some of the most impressive progress data for disadvantaged pupils across the South West.
A pioneering scheme, run as part of the Commission, is also training undergraduates to tutor pupils reached around 350 pupils this year, with the pupils taking part able to attend a 'graduation ceremony' at the University of Exeter.
Young Devon is supporting the upskilling of young people who might otherwise be experiencing homelessness by providing them with accommodation and helping them to access and progress into training and employment.