17th December 2014 1:00
By Blue Tutors
Bright pupils, showing academic promise at age 11, are not progressing to higher education, claims the Sutton Trust.
Since the end of the “gifted and talented” programme in 2011, many state secondary schools have offered very little support for more able pupils from “low and middle income” families. The government suggests that higher standards in all schools would benefit all pupils, no matter what their background. Meanwhile, the trust is calling for a national system of support to assist these pupils to achieve their true potential.
This summer, the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission reported that pupils who are seen as high attaining early on are often left behind as they progress through their education, being overtaken by average-ability children from wealthier backgrounds. The report suggests that over 2,000 fewer disadvantaged students gain places at elite universities, compared with peers from better-off households who showed similar academic ability at 11 years old, leading to an under-representation of bright but poorer students at university level.
In order to address this, and encourage more students from lower-income homes to achieve places at universities, they need earlier support, so “that they continue to do well at school, have high aspirations for their futures and make the right educational choices," said Sutton Trust chairman Sir Peter Lampl.
The trust’s poll of parents and teachers showed support for programmes targeting these pupils, with 90% of parents polled agreeing these were “important” or “very important”.
The Sutton Trust is now calling on the government to develop an evidence base that documents how highly able students can be supported, and to provide teachers with comprehensive training to allow them to challenge and develop these bright pupils effectively.