Narrowing the achievement gap associated with poverty

Do you have an achievement gap related to poverty? For example, lower success rates for white young men living in areas of social deprivation, or in low-income households? What are you doing to narrow the gap? New research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation might prove helpful. 

The attainment gap between young people from the richest and poorest backgrounds is an issue for many education providers. This gap is wider than in many similar countries.

New research published this month by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, explores what education providers can do to close the education attainment gap associated with poverty - what attempts have been made to tackle the issue, and which have proved successful.  

Although the report specifically looks at this issue in Scotland, many of the outcomes from the research are applicable across the rest of Britain. 

Strategies that appear to help narrow the gap include

• improving functional skills
• extra-curricula activities such as study support workshops
• Peer tutoring
• meta-cognitive training (helping young people to understand and improve their own learning)
• Mentoring

To read the report, click here