CYP Now - Questions over ‘extremely slow’ progress to close disadvantage gap

Progress in narrowing the disadvantage gap between poor children and their peers in England and Wales has been “extremely slow” in both nations over the last decade, new research finds.

Poorer pupils are several months behind their peers by the time they reach GCSE level, studies show. Picture: Adobe Stock

In the first report to provide a comparison of educational inequalities across the two nations over the past 10 years, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) finds that the disadvantage gap has “come down over time” - by about two months in England and by even less in Wales - but progress in narrowing this attainment gap has been “extremely slow”.

In England, the disadvantage gap across all GCSE subjects and core GCSE subjects has come down from 20 months of educational progress in 2011 to 18 months in 2019.

In Wales, progress has been even slower, with the gap only coming down from 24 months in 2011 to 23 months in 2019.

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