Pupil premium – funding used to improve outcomes for the poorest pupils – should double, while eligibility criteria should be expanded to help pupils living in “deep poverty”, according to a social mobility expert.
The maximum funding per pupil for 2021-22 is £2,345.
Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exetersaid the fact that teachers reported students stealing basic necessities such as food and tissues showed there was an “urgent need” to review funding.
Frontline teachers see kids coming to school hungry, tired and anxious – and many still don’t miss school at all
He cried for all Conservative Party leadership candidates to outline how they would tackle poverty and support education catch-up after the pandemic.
Prof Elliot Major, speaking with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Mobility this week, said it was “vital” that there was “no policy paralysis caused by political instability at a time when leadership is needed to address unprecedented challenges.” that schools and universities are currently facing”.
He added that failure to act could leave a generation “scarred” by Covid-19 and that it was “disappointing” that little was mentioned by candidates about leveling up or social mobility.
†teachers on the front lines are seeing kids coming to school hungry, tired and anxious — and many still miss school altogether,” he said.
“Pupils steal basic items like tissues, they can’t afford the bus to school, some miss sixth grade because they went to work to help their families.
“This year will also see the toughest university admission round in living memory. Not enough money has been spent to help teachers repair the damage caused by the pandemic, and the money spent so far has not been properly implemented.”
The progress made in schools in narrowing the achievement gaps between different groups of children has gone back a decade
Prof Elliot Major said he wanted the funding of the student grant given to schools to double and for the benefit to be given to more of the “working poor”.
He added that his study showed that Covid-19 had led to an average of three to four months of learning loss for students, and that the impact was “particularly acute” for younger children.
The pandemic would likely lead to a 4-12% drop in income mobility, he said, adding that there should be a national university-run tutoring service for students to make up for lost credits.
He has previously said that the focus on underprivileged learners has been removed from the National Tutoring Program – the flagship Government plan to help students catch up after the pandemic – it risks abandoning the kids who need it most, describing the move as “outrageous” and “cynical” in March.
Prof Elliot Major said: “The progress made in schools in narrowing the achievement gaps between different groups of children has gone back a decade, but this could also be an opportunity to prioritize social justice in education policy.”