Huge pressure has been placed on schools in recent years to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged students and their peers.
However, new research has suggested that those who accuse schools of “failing” when they do not close this gap have misunderstood the nature of the problem.
The analysis by Professor Steve Strand of the University of Oxford, an expert in school results data, finds that the “pervasiveness” of the attainment gap throughout all types of institutions suggests that it is not a problem caused by a school’s policies, but by wider factors outside of their gates.
Furthermore, current accountability measures do not recognise the effects of poverty on achievement and may make it harder for institutions serving disadvantaged communities, Prof Strand has said.
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