Tackling educational inequality - CentreForum

Tackling educational inequality
1.2 EXAMINING THE ‘TAIL’
Table 2 sets out what these rates mean in terms of the total number
of pupils failing to reach the expected standards at the different Key
Stages.
Furthermore, within the ‘tail’ there is a group of particularly low achievers
who are making virtually no progress at all. According to the government,
every year around 6 to 7 per cent of 11 year olds in England leave
primary school with “very poor” literacy skills (below National Curriculum
level 3 in English – the expected attainment level of a seven year old).
A similar proportion leaves primary school with “very poor” numeracy.
Moreover, the proportion of these ‘low achievers’ at Key Stage 2 has
actually increased (see figure 5). In percentage terms the figures appear
small, but they refer to a large number of children. The number of 11
year olds significantly underachieving in English, maths and science in
2006 stood at 35,900, 25,600, and 17,000 respectively.
A similar pattern can be found at GCSE level. Although fewer pupils
are now failing to achieve any GCSEs at all, the percentage of those
achieving five GCSEs has remained virtually unchanged since 2000 (see
figure 6). Since 1997, approximately 11 per cent of 16 year olds have
consistently achieved fewer than five GCSE passes of any grade. This is
despite the government’s decision to include equivalent GCSE qualifications,
such as GNVQs, previously excluded from the statistics.
Table 2: Numbers and percentages of pupils falling below
expected standards
Key
Stage 1
Key
Stage 2
Key
Stage 3
Key
Stage 4
English
Maths
Speaking
and listening
Reading
Writing
70,700
(13%)
86,400
(15%)
103,600
(19%)
53,700
(9%)
118,000
(20%)
138,600
(23%)
147,800
(24%) 263,500
(41%) 2
127,600
(20%)
Source: Calculations from DfES, ‘National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 1 in
England, 2006 (Provisional)’, August 2006; DfES, ‘National Curriculum Assessments at
Key Stage 2 in England, 2006 (Revised)’ December 2006; DfES, ‘National Curriculum
Assessments at Key Stage 3 in England, 2006 (Provisional)’, September 2006; DfES,
‘GCSE and equivalent examination results in England 2005/06 (Revised)’, January 2007
12