𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A shake-up of schooling in England will be announced this week so the nation’s poorest children will no longer lag so far behind better-off pupils. The Government admits the “disadvantage gap is as stark today as it was over a decade ago in 2014”. Only 44% of poorer children achieve a pass at grade four or above in their maths and English GCSEs, compared with more than seven out of 10 children who do not receive free school meals.

On Monday plans will be set out for a new attendance target to ensure 20 million school days are not lost each year – the equivalent of 100,000 more pupils attending school full time. Retaining top staff is a key challenge and newly appointed headteachers could get a boost of up to £15,000 so they work in the parts of the nation where they are needed most.

School teachers, leaders and support staff will also see an increase in their maternity pay for the first time in more than 25 years in a bid to encourage women to “stay on in the profession and thrive”. A new “one stop shop” for parents will give information about attendance and attainment at every school.

The plan is to drive up results for pupils “including white working-class children by bringing together schools, parents and communities”.

A major change in how “deprivation funding” is distributed to schools is also expected. Instead of simply looking at how many children receive free school meals it could take into account how low the family income is, how long this has been the case and the place a child ives.

The white paper will be scrutinised for how it will affect the rights of children with special educational needs. The Government says is will “set out how more children can and will receive better support, earlier, closer and without a fight”.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “These reforms are a golden opportunity to cut the link between background and success – one that we must seize. Our schools have made great strides in recent decades.

“Yet for too long, many children in our country have been let down by a one-size fits all system, denied opportunity because they’re poor or because they have additional needs.“Our schools white paper presents the blueprint for opportunity for the next generation, with an education system that truly serves every child, whatever their needs and wherever in the country they grow up.”

But Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: “It is wrong to narrow the disadvantage gap by simply dragging everyone down. We have seen before how school reforms grounded in evidence raised standards and helped the most disadvantaged succeed.

“There is a real fear that, like the Schools Bill, this risks moving away from what we know works. Months on from the Budget, there is still no clarity on how the £6billion SEND black hole will be filled. Nor on funding for the £5billion council SEND funding, nor on where this supposed £1bilion extra is coming from. You cannot find these sums down the back of the sofa, the Government must come clean.”

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