Increasing Social Mobility to Tackle Disadvantage and Inequality

This event provides an opportunity to hear from the Social Mobility Commission and to discuss innovative ways to improve social mobility and ensure as many pupils as possible are able to reach their full potential regardless of background. Policymakers and sector leaders will consider the impact of the Opportunity Areas, and wider ways to support social mobility in the education system, both in the classroom and by effectively preparing pupils for a variety of post-16 routes.

Attendees will participate in solution-based discussions, as well as hear from best practice case studies that have implemented effective strategies to increase learner potential through extra-curricular activities, cultural programmes and wrap-around care such as breakfast clubs.

NFER’s Caroline Sharp, Research Director and Co-Author, Supporting the Attainment of Disadvantaged Pupils: Articulating Success and Good Practice is giving a special keynote at 10:20am on supporting school leaders to enhance the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

She will be:

• Identifying the key takeaways for school leaders
• Sharing findings from the 2019 research report, The Power of Attendance and Stability for Disadvantaged Pupils
• Highlighting the need to meet benchmarks at key stage 2 in order to ensure pupils are able to progress and develop, and discussing strategies for identifying and supplying the right support at each stage
• Exploring how schools, and local authorities, could work to better mitigate the effect of socio-economic inequalities in the home learning environment on pupil progress, such as by providing an after-school ‘study space'.

More about the event…