New statistics published
today (13 December) show that disadvantaged primary school
pupils are closing in on their better off peers as the
disadvantage gap index falls for the seventh year in a row.
School Standards Minister welcomed the news and
praised the impact of academies in supporting this
improvement. The figures show the disadvantage gap index
has shrunk by 13% since 2010 and 3% in the last year alone.
In addition the statistics show that in multi-academy
trusts disadvantaged pupils did significantly better than
the national average in writing and maths.
School Standards Minister said:
Standards are rising in our schools, with 86% of schools
now rated good or outstanding as of August 2018, compared
to 68% in 2010 and these statistics show that the gap
between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has closed
by 13% since 2010.
Every child, regardless of their background, deserves a
high quality education and opportunity to fulfil their
potential. Headteachers are using the freedoms afforded
by academy and free school status to make this a reality,
as illustrated by the progress disadvantaged pupils in
multi-academy trusts are making in writing and maths.
Statistics released today show:
-
The gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged
pupils is smaller in MATs than the national average in
each progress measure (reading, writing and maths);
-
88% of pupils who met the phonics standard in year 1
reached the expected standard in reading at the end of
key stage 2; and
-
The attainment gap between girls and boys has remained
stable with 61% of boys meeting the expected standard
compared to 68% of girls
This release follows statistics published
earlier this year that showed 64% of pupils met the
expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths this
year.
The data is part of a number of publications from the
Department today that show how our primary schools are
performing. It includes the performance tables, which help
parents make informed choices about schools in their areas,
and how individual multi academy trusts are performing.
The tables show that Dilkes Academy Trust (now known as
Catalyst Academies Trust), Yorkshire Collaborative Academy
Trust and Hull Collaborative Academy Trust all rank in the
top ten trusts in the country for attainment in reading,
writing and maths.
The department collects and publish more information about
MATs than we do about local authority schools – including
new information about how we are tackling high pay and late
filing of accounts. Publications like today’s Key Stage 2
performance measures, which now include around 240 trusts,
show the important role MATs play in our improving system.
New research also
published today highlights the approaches trusts take to
supporting their schools to succeed.
We continue to strengthen the accountability regime across
the academies sector. In recent months, we have
strengthened financial accountability, including new rules
on related party transactions, which local authority
schools do not have to publish at all. Ofsted is today
publishing its improved approach to Summary Evaluations
which bring together the inspections of individual schools
in a MAT to give a picture of its contribution to education
quality.
We will continue to make information about trusts more
visible. As we do this, we will also consider how this
compares to the transparency of local authority schools.
