- Disadvantage gap grows for 10-11 year olds, especially on
higher standard for reading, writing and maths
- Pressure on schools narrows curriculum and fuels teacher
stress in ways that unfairly affect disadvantaged children
New IPPR research shows that
disadvantaged pupils are nearly three times less likely to
achieve the highest marks in SATs taken by Year 6 pupils in
English state schools.
The research comes as the Children's
Commissioner warns of a childhood
lottery in England, where the place children grow up has massive
impact on the challenges they face.
The disadvantage gap representing the
difference in attainment between disadvantaged children and their
peers taking Key Stage 2 SATs has reached its highest level since
the pandemic, according to Department for Education (DfE) data released in September.
The new IPPR analysis finds that in 2026, just 4 per cent of
disadvantaged pupils met the higher standard in reading, writing
and maths (combined), while 11 per cent of other pupils met the
higher standard.
Researchers find that the content
of Key Stage 2 assessments routinely assumes cultural experience
and background knowledge that pupils do not equally have. In
previous years, tests have included writing tasks which refer to
skiing or foreign travel, for example.
Judging primary schools against a
single national benchmark creates perverse incentives and a
narrowing of the curriculum that significantly affects
disadvantaged pupils, IPPR researchers argue. Their previous
polling shows that 93 per cent of teachers felt that preparation
for SATs has an impact on the breadth of curriculum in primary
schools, with 77 per cent reporting more time being spent on
tested subjects when preparing for SATs.
The authors propose moves towards a
fairer, more reliable system in response. These include
introducing an independent statutory and bias audit' for all Key
Stage 2 assessments, changing how results are published and
reported to reduce pressure on schools, and introducing a
competency framework for pupils results in place of scaled
scores. The authors claim these changes would reduce cultural
bias and make tests more accessible while retaining
rigour.
Conor Carleton, children and
young people policy consultant at IPPR,
said:
As the Children's Commissioner
sounds the alarm over the impact of inequality on childhood, this
year's SATs results show disadvantaged children are three times
less likely to achieve the highest marks. Too often the primary
assessment system encourages a narrower curriculum and
intensifies pressure on teachers, and ends up reflecting
children's circumstances rather than their potential.
We need to see urgent change. This
doesn't mean abandoning standards or accountability, but it
does mean redesigning the system so that it supports schools,
teachers, and pupils to succeed.
ENDS
NOTES TO
EDITORS
Authors present new analysis of 2026
KS2 attainment data, showing that non-disadvantaged children are
nearly three times more likely to get the top marks than their
disadvantaged peers. 4 per cent of disadvantaged pupils met the
higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined),
compared to 11 per cent of other pupils. The full data is
available from Department for Education, Key stage 2
attainment', 10 September
2026.
