Select Committee · Education Committee

Left behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds

Status: Closed Opened: 17 Apr 2020 Closed: 11 Jan 2022 26 recommendations 15 conclusions 1 report

The Education Committee is to investigate the issues faced by disadvantaged groups, with an initial inquiry into the educational underachievement of white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds including white working class pupils. This inquiry will examine the extent of the achievement gap between this group and their peers and how it is measured, alongside a consideration … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - The forgotten: how White working-class pupil… HC 85 22 Jun 2021 41 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
3 Recommendation First Report - The forgotten: how White… Deferred

Disadvantage is a gradient, not an ‘either-or’ of FSM-eligible or ‘advantaged’.

Disadvantage is a gradient, not an ‘either-or’ of FSM-eligible or ‘advantaged’. To support disadvantaged White pupils the Government must refine its key measures of disadvantage and widen public access to its statistics. This should be done in a way that protects pupil anonymity as a priority, for example by redacting … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges FSM is an imperfect measure and is continuously reviewing data and working with DWP for improvements. While it states FSM statistics are published at local authority level, it commits to only 'considering' commissioning new research for more sophisticated poverty measures at a …
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Department for Education
16 Recommendation First Report - The forgotten: how White… Deferred

The Government’s announcement of continued supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools is welcome, but the...

The Government’s announcement of continued supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools is welcome, but the underlying issues of short-termism and insufficiency remain and are more acute as a result of the pandemic. It is not enough for the Government to continually push a decision on the long-term future of maintained … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation, protecting supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools until at least July 2022. It states that policy options for long-term funding and the sector's future will be considered as part of the Spending Review (SR21) later that year.
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Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

8 sessions
Date Witnesses
19 May 2021 Dr Tony Sewell CBE · Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, Martyn Oliver · Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, Professor Steve Strand · University of Oxford View ↗
9 Feb 2021 Rt Hon. Nick Gibb MP · Department for Education, Vicky Ford MP · Department for Education View ↗
26 Jan 2021 Claire Smith · Halton Borough Council, Dr. Javed Khan · Barnardo’s, Louisa Reeves · I CAN, Merle Davies · Blackpool Centre for Early Child Development, Sonia Shaljean · Lads need Dads View ↗
7 Jan 2021 Chris Millward · Office for Students, Dr Graeme Atherton · The National Education Opportunities Network (NEON), Karen Spencer MBE · Harlow College, Professor Liz Barnes · Staffordshire University, Rae Tooth · Villiers Park Educational Trust View ↗
1 Dec 2020 Edward Davies · Centre for Social Justice, Katie Sullivan · Regenerate UK, Matt Leach · The Local Trust, Miriam Jordan Keane · The National Citizen Service, Suzanne Wilson · University of Central Lancashire View ↗
17 Nov 2020 Andrew Smith · Learning Pathways Academy, Claire-Marie Cuthbert · Evolve Trust, Clementine Stewart · Langford Primary School, Helena Mills CBE · BMAT Education, Nick Hurn OBE · Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, Ruth Robinson · Swindon and Nova Hreod Academies View ↗
3 Nov 2020 Dr Alex Gibson · University of Plymouth, Ed Vainker · Reach Academy, Henri Murison · Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Jonathan Douglas · The National Literacy Trust, Liz Bayram · Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY), Sammy Wright · Social Mobility Commission View ↗
13 Oct 2020 Dr Sam Baars · The Centre for Education and Youth, Mary Curnock Cook OBE, Professor Becky Francis · Education Endowment Foundation, Professor Diane Reay · University of Cambridge, Professor Lee Elliot Major · University of Exeter, Professor Matthew Goodwin · University of Kent View ↗

Who gave evidence

38 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Andrew Smith · Chief Executive Officer Learning Pathways Academy 1
Chris Millward · Director for Fair Access and Participation Office for Students 1
Claire Smith · Talk Halton Project Lead Halton Borough Council 1
Claire-Marie Cuthbert · Chief Executive Officer Evolve Trust 1
Clementine Stewart · Vice-Chair of Governors Langford Primary School 1
Dr Alex Gibson · Senior Research Fellow University of Plymouth 1
Dr Graeme Atherton · Director The National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) 1
Dr Sam Baars · Director of Research and Operations The Centre for Education and Youth 1
Dr Tony Sewell CBE · Chair Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities 1
Dr. Javed Khan · Chief Executive Officer Barnardo’s 1
Ed Vainker · Chief Executive Officer Reach Academy 1
Edward Davies · Director of Policy Centre for Social Justice 1
Helena Mills CBE · Chief Executive Officer BMAT Education 1
Henri Murison · Director Northern Powerhouse Partnership 1
Jonathan Douglas · Chief Executive The National Literacy Trust 1
Karen Spencer MBE · Principal Harlow College 1
Katie Sullivan · ‘Get Active’ Youth Work Co-ordinator Regenerate UK 1
Liz Bayram · Chief Executive Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) 1
Louisa Reeves · Head of Impact and Evidence I CAN 1
Martyn Oliver · Commissioner Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities 1
Mary Curnock Cook OBE 1
Matt Leach · Chief Executive Officer The Local Trust 1
Merle Davies · Director Blackpool Centre for Early Child Development 1
Miriam Jordan Keane · Chief Marketing and Sales Officer The National Citizen Service 1
Nick Hurn OBE · Chief Executive Officer Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust 1
Professor Becky Francis · Chief Executive Education Endowment Foundation 1
Professor Diane Reay · Emeritus Professor of Education University of Cambridge 1
Professor Lee Elliot Major · Professor of Social Mobility University of Exeter 1
Professor Liz Barnes · Vice Chancellor Staffordshire University 1
Professor Matthew Goodwin · Professor of Politics and International Relations University of Kent 1
Professor Steve Strand · Professor of Education University of Oxford 1
Rae Tooth · Chief Executive Villiers Park Educational Trust 1
Rt Hon. Nick Gibb MP · Minister of State for School Standards Department for Education 1
Ruth Robinson · Executive Principal Swindon and Nova Hreod Academies 1
Sammy Wright · Social Mobility Commissioner Social Mobility Commission 1
Sonia Shaljean · Managing Director Lads need Dads 1
Suzanne Wilson · Research Fellow in Social Inclusion and Community… University of Central Lancashire 1
Vicky Ford MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Childr… Department for Education 1

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
23 Mar 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minster of State for School Standards on careers advice and the…