Ch Choic ices Soc ocia ial Mob obili lity, a new way of of th thin inking Professor Son onia ia Bla Blandford
2018 • One in five children and young people do not achieve expected outcomes due to the disadvantage, needs or challenges they experience • Social mobility is impeded by poverty; one in six children live in poverty in the UK • Development of adults and services that support children and young people is fundamental to changing society.
A broken social elevator? (OECD, 2018) UN November 2018 Th The pict icture in in th the UK • People’s economic status is closely related to that of their parents. • This means it could take 5 generations for children born into a family at the bottom of the income distribution to reach the mean average- slightly longer than the OECD average. • Top 5 economies – lowest level of support
Schools need to be places where barriers are taken down • Dis isadvantage in in all ll it its forms build ilds mult ltip iple and systemic ic barrie iers that prevent young people from achie ievin ing all ll they y can
“Sir, I have read your letter with interest; and, judging from your description of yourself as a working-man, I venture to think that you will have a much better chance of success in life by remaining in your own sphere and sticking to your trade than by adopting any other course. That, therefore, is what I advise you” Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1895
1928 The continuance of social evils is not due to the fact that we do not know what is right, but we prefer to continue doing what is wrong. Those that have the power to remove them do not have the will, and those who have the will have not, as yet, the power.
1973
Social mobility Current thinking 7 Key Truths 1. Birth to 3 2. School 3. Teachers 4. Outside School 5. University 6. Second Chances 7. Resilience
Social mobility- the solutions for the UK – a new way of thinking • Educatio ion: Upskill the workforce- by greater investment in life long learning for low skilled workers- to improve job quality and productivity • Job Jobs: Better regulation of jobs- E.g. increase job security for zero hours employment contracts • Housin ing: : support geographical mobility of workers to higher productivity regions And…. • Mutuality
Every Child Included - manifesto priorities • Prom omote kin kindness an and wel ellbeing in education, business and third sector settings, where every child and young person is included every day, • Fu Furt rther r in investment ac across all all phas ases of of ed education, beginning with the early years that results in a socially and culturally relevant curriculum. • Greater foc ocus on on tea eachers as as prof ofessional lea learn rners through recruitment, retention, and professional development that includes an enhanced understanding of the way disadvantaged and vulnerable children learn • Red educe ch children an and you oung peo eople bei eing excluded in in ed education by: y: in incr creasing resp sponsibility for or ch children at t ris risk of of exclusion through cross-agency collaboration an and clo closing th the e gap ap for or SE SEND • In Incr creased rec ecognition of of par aren ents, car arers an and wid ider com ommunities, valuing all parents and carers as crucial partners in the improvement of learning and life chances for every child.
Social mobility- schools make a difference • e 11- good early years and primary school Increased In ed attainment at t age experience and better home learning environment (HLE) • e 16- out of school enrichment activities In Increased ed attainment at t age and reading at home • e 17- (4 or more AS Levels)-attending any Increased In ed attainment at t age pre-school, but particularly quality, good teachers, academic enrichment activity at home (e.g. reading , visits to museums) • e 18 (3 or more A Levels)-attending a In Increased ed attainment at t age secondary school rated outstanding by Ofsted and academic enrichment activities at home
What can schools do? • "The evidence is conclusive: equity in education pays off. The highest performing education systems across OECD countries are those that combine high quality and equity. In such education systems, the vast majority of students can attain high level skills and knowledge that depend on their ability and drive, more than on their socio-economic background.“ (OECD, 2012)
And defining equity…… • " Equity as inclusion means ensuring that all students reach at least a basic minimum level of skills. Equitable education systems are fair and inclusive and support their students to reach their learning potential without either formally or informally pre- setting barriers or lowering expectations. Equity as fairness implies that personal or socio-economic circumstances, such as gender, ethnic origin or family background are not obstacles to educational success."
Literacy across England-a key determinant of social mobility….. • England has the most proficient readers in Europe…..But we have the longest tail of underachievement • As many as one in 5 children leave primary school unable to read well enough to do well at secondary school • For the poorest children this figure can rise to 1 in 3 in some areas
Children from low income families start behind and may never catch up….
But ……. ‘ It’s not what you spend, it’s the way that you spend it…. that’s what gets results’ (Sutton Trust, 2015)
Working with Early Years, schools and Post 16 Teaching & Leadership Learning The Whole Child Parent & Carer Wider outcomes & Engagement opportunities
Building core strengths • Aspiration, ‘I can’: the grit and resilience that makes perseverance in the face of challenge a ‘lived practice’ of children and young people, understanding and supporting learning, building ambition and goal- focused behaviour. • Access, ‘I do: developing independence in learning and self- development in children and young people leading to an understanding and ownership of their responsibility for their own ongoing life-long journey of learning and development. • Attainment, ‘I have’: attaining the grade – ‘I have passed’ • Achievement, ‘I am’: the internalisation of learning and success, the ‘feel good’ factor of learning that grows from within, equipping children and young people to understand what they know and how to learn.
Impact of Achievement for All: Evidence (PwC, 2016)
Impact: Evidence (PwC, 2016)
Our work with the Independent Schools Council • To evaluate th the im impact on pupil academic and wid ider outcomes of f In Independent t and State sc school partn tnerships
Initial findings • There is a need for both a delivery and evaluation framework
In partnership: A force for driving social mobility • There is limited awareness of the employability and personal skills required in the workplace of the future. • In 2016, the Confederation of British Industry Annual Education and Skills Survey summarised employers’ views on the skills and knowledge of young entrants to the labour market and comparing this to the needs of business and industry • these include: se self lf-starting; se self lf-awareness of f pro rofess ssional development t needs; re research; pro roble lem-solving; cre reati tivity ty; and adaptability ility
Counterpoint: Independent and State Schools Working in Harmony
Counterpoint • Counterpoint is a programme that provides a delivery and research framework for current and new activity that focuses on partnerships between independent and maintained schools aimed at improving academic, social, economic and cultural outcomes for all children. • Achievement for All 3As , an independent charity established in 2011 with support from the Department for Education , Counterpoint has been developed in partnership with City of London Freemen’s School.
Counterpoint: Aims • Aim One: Develop and improve inclusive, mutual practice that improves outcomes for all children and increases social mobility • Aim Two: Engage in local outreach and partnership activities within schools, the community and business • Aim Three: Implement a national research pilot that measures academic, social and cultural impact.
Counterpoint: what does it give you? Counterpoint t wil ill provide: • a se senior le leader to coach and tr train in all ll parti ticipating staff, and to le lead rese search act ctivity ty in in each sc school; • on lin line professional development to su support t academic, so soci cial and cu cult ltural development and netw tworking; • im impact ass ssessment for all ll act ctivities s at t stu tudent, t, sc school and hub le levels, with ith termly ly in interim reports ts.
The Counterpoint framework supports …… • Leadership development and training events • Subject, cross curricula and extra curricula teacher continuing professional development, e.g. science, music, wellbeing, sport, drama, exam preparation, and more • Parent and carer engagement through structured conversations focused on targeted groups of children • Wider outcomes, including social, cultural and post school destination.
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