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| Poor white pupils 'need best teachers and long days' | Poor white pupils 'need best teachers and long days' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| White working-class children need schools with incentives to attract high-quality teachers and longer days to allow pupils to do their homework, says a cross-party committee of MPs. | White working-class children need schools with incentives to attract high-quality teachers and longer days to allow pupils to do their homework, says a cross-party committee of MPs. |
| The Education Select Committee has been examining the underachievement of poor white children in England. | The Education Select Committee has been examining the underachievement of poor white children in England. |
| Their exam results are much worse than disadvantaged black or Asian pupils. | Their exam results are much worse than disadvantaged black or Asian pupils. |
| The MPs' report describes poor white youngsters as "consistently the lowest performing group in the country". | The MPs' report describes poor white youngsters as "consistently the lowest performing group in the country". |
| The report - Underachievement in Education by White Working Class Children - identifies this as a "real and persistent" problem. | The report - Underachievement in Education by White Working Class Children - identifies this as a "real and persistent" problem. |
| Attainment gap | Attainment gap |
| Poor white children are already lagging behind when they start primary school, and the gap grows wider as they get older. | Poor white children are already lagging behind when they start primary school, and the gap grows wider as they get older. |
| As each school year passes, this attainment gap sees them falling further behind wealthier white pupils and poor children from ethnic minorities. | As each school year passes, this attainment gap sees them falling further behind wealthier white pupils and poor children from ethnic minorities. |
| The rising results among poor black and Asian pupils shows "improvements can be made", MPs say. | The rising results among poor black and Asian pupils shows "improvements can be made", MPs say. |
| This report "holds a mirror up to the situation - it does not attempt to solve the problem", but it makes some recommendations to lessen this underachievement. | This report "holds a mirror up to the situation - it does not attempt to solve the problem", but it makes some recommendations to lessen this underachievement. |
| Poor pupils of all ethnic backgrounds are much more likely to do well in outstanding schools. | Poor pupils of all ethnic backgrounds are much more likely to do well in outstanding schools. |
| The report shows that 50% of pupils eligible for free school meals will achieve a benchmark of five good GCSEs if they attend a school rated by Ofsted as outstanding. | The report shows that 50% of pupils eligible for free school meals will achieve a benchmark of five good GCSEs if they attend a school rated by Ofsted as outstanding. |
| This compares with only 25% in a school rated as inadequate. | This compares with only 25% in a school rated as inadequate. |
| The report argues that as a particularly low-achieving group, poor white children would have the most to gain from access to outstanding schools and the best teachers. | The report argues that as a particularly low-achieving group, poor white children would have the most to gain from access to outstanding schools and the best teachers. |
| Competing for teachers | Competing for teachers |
| There should be incentives to recruit high-quality teachers into schools that could help these pupils, argues the report. | There should be incentives to recruit high-quality teachers into schools that could help these pupils, argues the report. |
| "Schools face a battle for resources and talent, and those serving poor white communities need a better chance of winning," it says. | "Schools face a battle for resources and talent, and those serving poor white communities need a better chance of winning," it says. |
| There are practical forms of help, says the report, such as allowing time and space for children to do their homework at school, which could mean extending the school day. | There are practical forms of help, says the report, such as allowing time and space for children to do their homework at school, which could mean extending the school day. |
| The pupil premium, which targets funds at poor children, was welcomed as likely to make a difference. | The pupil premium, which targets funds at poor children, was welcomed as likely to make a difference. |
| The committee heard evidence about causes of this underachievement. | The committee heard evidence about causes of this underachievement. |
| Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw highlighted the importance of supportive parents, irrespective of income. | Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw highlighted the importance of supportive parents, irrespective of income. |
| "Poverty of expectation bears harder on educational achievement than material poverty, hard though that can be. And these expectations start at home." | "Poverty of expectation bears harder on educational achievement than material poverty, hard though that can be. And these expectations start at home." |
| Representatives of Leicester City Council told MPs that there were parts of the city where "white working class culture is characterised by low aspirations and negative attitudes towards education". | Representatives of Leicester City Council told MPs that there were parts of the city where "white working class culture is characterised by low aspirations and negative attitudes towards education". |
| But the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which has researched poverty, rejected the idea of low parental aspirations, but instead blamed a lack of self-belief among white working-class families. | But the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which has researched poverty, rejected the idea of low parental aspirations, but instead blamed a lack of self-belief among white working-class families. |
| They wanted their children to be high achievers, but had a much lower expectation than middle-class families that they would be able to "achieve their goals". | They wanted their children to be high achievers, but had a much lower expectation than middle-class families that they would be able to "achieve their goals". |
| Lost 'bedrock' | Lost 'bedrock' |
| Prof Alison Wolf, from King's College London, highlighted the link between concentrations of underachievement in school and where traditional industrial jobs had disappeared. | Prof Alison Wolf, from King's College London, highlighted the link between concentrations of underachievement in school and where traditional industrial jobs had disappeared. |
| "A lot of the careers and jobs that were the bedrock of white working-class family life for many decades and generations have vanished and have not been well replaced," she said. | "A lot of the careers and jobs that were the bedrock of white working-class family life for many decades and generations have vanished and have not been well replaced," she said. |
| Committee chairman Graham Stuart said working-class parents might not realise how much the labour market had changed - and that their children would face a tough future if they failed to achieve in school. | Committee chairman Graham Stuart said working-class parents might not realise how much the labour market had changed - and that their children would face a tough future if they failed to achieve in school. |
| "They might have hated school, left early - but still did well for themselves and they mistakenly assume their children can do the same," he said. | "They might have hated school, left early - but still did well for themselves and they mistakenly assume their children can do the same," he said. |
| The National Union of Teachers said that underachievement was linked to poverty, | The National Union of Teachers said that underachievement was linked to poverty, |
| "Children from disadvantaged backgrounds will not be as school ready as others for the simple reason if you have not had a meal in the evening, slept in your own bed or had breakfast, that will impact on your ability to learn," said general secretary Christine Blower. | "Children from disadvantaged backgrounds will not be as school ready as others for the simple reason if you have not had a meal in the evening, slept in your own bed or had breakfast, that will impact on your ability to learn," said general secretary Christine Blower. |
| A Department for Education spokesman said the pupil premium was providing £2.5bn per year to support disadvantaged pupils and that schemes such as Teach First were recruiting good teachers for tough areas. | A Department for Education spokesman said the pupil premium was providing £2.5bn per year to support disadvantaged pupils and that schemes such as Teach First were recruiting good teachers for tough areas. |
| "The over-riding objective of our reforms is to improve the attainment of the poorest children in society - and we are already seeing real improvements," he said. | "The over-riding objective of our reforms is to improve the attainment of the poorest children in society - and we are already seeing real improvements," he said. |
| "We have made it easier for all schools, not just academies and free schools, to extend the length of the school day." | "We have made it easier for all schools, not just academies and free schools, to extend the length of the school day." |