A government report has found that offering free school meals to all children can boost attainment, and close the gap between rich and poor children. A study carried out by the National Centre for Social Research into pilots in Durham, Newham and Wolverhampton, found improvements in attainment tended to be strongest amongst pupils from less affluent families.
A survey of teachers by the Sutton Trust claims that little of this year’s pupil premium will be spent on activities most likely to improve results. Asked how they would be spending the pupil premium, less than three per cent of respondents said they plan to use what the charity describes as “the most cost-effective classroom approaches”, namely enabling pupils to teach their peers, and providing “effective feedback” on pupil performance. Early intervention schemes, reducing class sizes and one-to-one tuition, were the most frequently cited priorities for the money.
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