Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Accepted
Department needs to strengthen non-funding support for struggling schools in disadvantaged areas.
Recommendation
The Department recognises there are differences in how schools consider available evidence, and then the approaches they take to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.83 The Department acknowledged that it needed to strengthen its support, beyond funding, for those schools not performing, including those needing further support to make decisions or facing high levels of poverty.84 It told us that its RISE teams, which bring together civil servants and expert advisers, would support schools where academic results suggested difficulties, or Ofsted had concerns. Support would be provided earlier than waiting for a formal departmental intervention to change leadership and governance.85 The Department said these teams would help schools make improvements based on good practice, and work alongside local authorities and academy trusts who have a role in sharing good practice.86 The Department also highlighted the extra support available to Priority Education Investment Areas, 24 local authorities with high levels of disadvantage and low levels of attainment. This included additional funding, and more schools being eligible for targeted teacher retention incentives.87 The Opportunities mission
Government Response Summary
The department supports effective evidence-based decision making through grant funding of the EEF, promoting the EEF’s evidence to frontline decision makers, and monitoring how schools use evidence of what works in developing their pupil premium strategies, working with the EEF to build schools’ capability and confidence.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5. PAC recommendation: The Department should provide greater clarity on how it supports schools, early years providers, local authorities and academy trusts to make effective evidence–based decisions. This should include setting out how it will capture and share good practice and monitor differences. 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2027 5.2 The department supports effective evidence-based decision making in early years, school and 16-19 sectors principally through its grant funding of the EEF, the designated What Works Centre for education. Following its re-endowment in 2022, the EEF’s work is funded to at least 2032. 5.3 The EEF’s core purpose is to be the independent arbiter of evidence on effective practice in raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. It does this by funding rigorous trials of teaching and learning interventions; assessing the findings from these trials – including their impact on disadvantaged pupils – as well as other high-quality research studies worldwide; and distilling and communicating evidence to the sector in ways that drive the adoption of proven approaches. 5.4 The department actively promotes the EEF’s evidence to frontline decision makers in various ways – notably through published guidance and wider communications on effective use of the pupil premium; and via DfE-led school and early years teaching and leadership development programmes, which are underpinned by EEF evidence on effective practice in teaching, learning and education management. 5.5 The department will continue to monitor how schools use evidence of what works in developing their pupil premium strategies and is considering how to target support to improve schools’ use of the pupil premium. Recent survey data shows school leaders find implementation and evaluation to be the most challenging aspects of developing and delivering effective pupil premium strategies. The department will work with the EEF to consider how best to build schools’ capability and confidence to benefit their disadvantaged pupils. 5.6 The department continues to work with EEF as evidence partner for the Stronger Practice Hubs programme to strengthen understanding of evidence informed practice and grow the evidence base of what works in Early Years settings.