Virus exposes A-level results divide for poor
Attainment gap with rich in sixth form
EDUCATION leaders in Yorkshire have urged teenagers not be discouraged from pursuing their ambitions because of the educational divide caused by the coronavirus crisis.
Thousands of young people between the ages of 16 and
19 have seen their education hampered by learning from home, with the poorest youngsters most affected.
In Barnsley, where the gap is among the widest in the UK according to new research, educators urged students to make the most of their education “to develop their skills and aim high”.
Research from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) think tank released today showed that students from the poorest backgrounds could be up to four A-Level grades behind their wealthier counterparts, a gap that varies across England.
YORKSHIRE has some of the biggest attainment gaps for A-Levels as disadvantaged sixth form and college students are about three grades behind their more affluent peers, a report suggests.
The gap is largely explained by poorer students already having lower grades at the end of their GCSEs, according to an exploratory analysis by the Education Policy Institute (EPI).
Disadvantaged students fall even further behind through sixth form and college, leaving them half an A-level grade behind better-off peers with the same GCSE results, the report suggests.
Barnsley had the seventh biggest gap in the UK and Rotherham 15th, according to the research.
Education chiefs in Barnsley, however, said the study was not an accurate reflection of the “breadth of learning, experiences and progression” of students. They encouraged young people not to let negative reports limit their aspirations.
The EPI’s research, which is based on a new provisional methodology, explores the “disadvantage gap” for older students enrolling in sixth form or college.
Academics looked at students’ free school meal status in the last six years of school and assessed their attainment based on their grades from the end of secondary school and by the age of 19.
There is an attainment gap equivalent to almost three A-level grades between the best three
qualifications of disadvantaged students and their peers, the provisional findings suggest.
For sixth form and college students identified as being “persistently disadvantaged”, who were on free school meals for more than 80 per cent of their time at school, this gap is the equivalent to four A-level grades.
In a joint statement, Coun Margaret Bruff, cabinet spokesperson for children’s services at Barnsley Council, and Yiannis Koursis, principal and chief executive of Barnsley College, said: “Barnsley is a place of possibilities that fosters and grows ambition. Barnsley’s young people and their families must not read reports like this and limit their aspirations due to where they live. Barnsley’s young people are driven, and our figures show this.”
Barnsley’s A-Level attainment was higher than the Sheffield City Region in 2018-19. For 2019-20, both Barnsley’s A-level providers were in the top third nationally in value-added grades.
The statement added: “This past year, we had more students than ever progress to university, and record numbers going on to Russell Group universities.
“The data the EPI use doesn’t take into account vocational qualifications, of which we have one of the best providers in the country, or those that combine technical and vocational qualifications with A-Levels.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are determined to ensure disadvantaged students are properly supported while studying at college or sixth form so they can gain the skills they need to progress.
“This includes providing extra funding for disadvantaged 16 to 19-year-old students, specifically those with low prior attainment or who live in the most disadvantaged areas.”
Barnsley’s young people are driven, and our figures show this. Joint statement from Barnsley Council chief and principal of Barnsley College.