Closing the attainment gap

From the moment they start school, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are already playing catch-up with their peers, and as they move through the education system, these gaps only widen. 

By the end of secondary school, many disadvantaged pupils are now 19.2 months behind their peers – a gap that has grown since 2019 to its highest level since 2012.

The former Conservative Government had a chance to make a real difference for disadvantaged children, but instead, they fell short, making promise after promise and failing to deliver. 

The attainment gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and those who have never received them has ballooned since the pandemic, erasing over a decade of progress made in closing the gap. Yet, despite this setback, the potential for change remains, if we prioritise the right strategies and investments.

Investments in early years education and tutoring can have a real impact on the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our new policy passed today prioritises investment in these areas to give all children the best possible start in life:

• Investing in high-quality early years education and closing the attainment gap by giving disadvantaged children aged three and four an extra five free hours a week and tripling the Early Years Pupil Premium to £1,000 a year.
• Increasing school and college funding per pupil above the rate of inflation every year. 
• Introducing a ‘Tutoring Guarantee’ for every disadvantaged pupil who needs extra support which would:
  • Be focused on prioritising children from low-income backgrounds, with low prior attainment or with additional needs.
  • Enable an estimated 1.75 million disadvantaged young people each year to get additional tutoring help and support.  
  • Empower headteachers, who know their children the best, to set up tutoring in a way that works for them and their pupils, by using their own teaching staff, recruiting tutors or choosing from quality-assured external providers.
• Introduce a Young People’s Premium, extending Pupil Premium funding to disadvantaged young people aged 16-18. 

Ensure no child is hungry in school by expanding free school meal eligibility to all children in poverty.

The widening educational gaps we see today are not inevitable; they are the result of the Conservatives’ failures. Our children and young people deserve better. 

With the right investment, we have the opportunity to turn things around and ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the chance to succeed.