All posts tagged: disadvantaged

Government must tackle faith admissions as part of plans to support disadvantaged pupils – Humanists UK

Government must tackle faith admissions as part of plans to support disadvantaged pupils – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

The UK Government’s new ‘missions’ to improve the outcomes of disadvantaged children need to be matched by a commitment to tackle unfair religious selection by faith schools, Humanists UK has said. The Education Secretary has announced new ‘missions’ in the North East and coastal communities which are aimed at improving the outcomes of children in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the country. While welcoming the focus on disadvantaged children, Humanists UK says the plan ignores one of the ways inequality is built into the school system: through the ability of state-funded faith schools to select pupils on religious grounds. Areas with more faith schools have higher levels of socio-economic segregation Research by the Sutton Trust in 2024 found that areas with more faith schools, particularly those areas with Catholic schools, have higher levels of socio-economic segregation than those areas with fewer schools with a religious character. An example in the North East is St Cuthbert’s High School, a Catholic secondary school in Newcastle that has a faith-based admissions criteria for applicants. Current government …

Best performing schools have the fewest disadvantaged pupils

Best performing schools have the fewest disadvantaged pupils

Published by skeptic

There’s a clear correlation between attainment and inclusivity, and the reasons for this are obvious too, says Charlotte O’Regan. Recently the government set out its plans for creating more inclusive mainstream schools. But our research shows that children who are doubly disadvantaged – both having SEND and coming from low-income families – are being shut out of some of the best state schools. The top 500 schools for attainment take in just half as many disadvantaged pupils with SEND as the average comprehensive. These findings will not come as a surprise to many working in schools. Indeed, our Teacher Tapp polling found 41 per cent of school leaders think some schools are actively discouraging applications from pupils with SEND. But what’s really going on? It’s easy to point the finger at the schools which take fewer free-school-meals children, and fewer children with SEND. But there’s a long list of complicating factors working against teachers and leaders who, by and large, want to do the right thing. Accountability measures One element is the system of accountability …

Online gambling companies zero in on France’s disadvantaged neighborhoods

Online gambling companies zero in on France’s disadvantaged neighborhoods

Published by Sam Flores

SÉVERIN MILLET Whether it’s football, tennis, basketball, boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), or cycling, it’s the bet that matters. It’s also the adrenaline, the win and the status that comes with victory. And above all, the prospect of making a lot of money, very quickly. For Bilal (name changed), every sporting event, big or small, near or far, represents an opportunity to place an online bet. He gambles on the outcome, the number of fouls, how many times a player passes to another player, and the number of penalties. He bets on anything and dreams big. For two years, Bilal has been chasing that dream, and for two years, he has been losing. But the stakes keep growing. Read more Subscribers only Inside a major investigation into tennis match fixing linked to gambling Bilal is 19 years old. He lives with his mother and younger brother in a working-class neighborhood in the Yvelines department, west of Paris. Unemployed, he has accumulated about €1,500 in gambling debts, owed to his bank, mother and friends. He did …

Streamlining what universities offer could backfire for disadvantaged students

Streamlining what universities offer could backfire for disadvantaged students

Published by skeptic

The government’s vision for higher education in England, set out in a recent policy paper, includes some changes that will benefit students from poorer backgrounds. An increase in maintenance loans, for instance, will help to support disadvantaged students. So too will the introduction of a lifelong learning entitlement loan. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds often have learning trajectories that are far from linear, so access to a lifetime entitlement makes sense. Other positive aspects include an aim to create more joined-up thinking in communities, greater links between higher education providers and employers and targeted funding initiatives. There is a general acknowledgement of the challenges disadvantaged students face. And these students are addressed throughout the document, albeit mostly through the lens of seeing their economic potential. But the government’s broader strategy for universities will present significant challenges for students who come from poorer families and live in disadvantaged areas. It encourages universities to carve out particular specialisms. This means honing their expertise and concentrating on their unique selling point – their “core purpose”. It suggests that while …

What the review of England’s national curriculum means for disadvantaged schools

What the review of England’s national curriculum means for disadvantaged schools

Published by skeptic

A government-appointed review panel has just released its long-awaited report on England’s national curriculum. Its stated intention is to improve curriculum quality for all children, but particularly those “for whom the system is currently not working well,” such as children with special educational needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. A new national curriculum will be published in 2027 and will come into force in September 2028. The review panel wanted this phased in, but the government says that it will happen in one go. The review’s recommendations for the curriculum include an oracy framework to join the reading and writing frameworks, to encourage children and young people to become confident, effective speakers. It proposes a shake-up of literacy testing in year six. It suggests that primary tests could be revised to make them more accessible to children with special educational needs and disabilities. Schools are encouraged to make use of existing optional tests at the end of key stage one, for children aged seven. The report also recommends greater representation of ethnic and other diversity …