The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has published its annual report revealing that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their more affluent peers in England has widened again, remaining larger at every stage of education than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Key Findings on the Disadvantage Gap
Disadvantaged pupils—those eligible for free school meals—are on average 19 months behind their classmates by the time they sit their GCSEs at Key Stage 4. The gap in the early years is now 17% wider than pre-pandemic levels, a difference researchers described as “particularly stark.”
The EPI compared educational outcomes of children who had ever been eligible for free school meals with those who had not, also examining differences by gender, ethnicity, and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Regional Variations
Disadvantaged pupils in London continued to outperform those from similar backgrounds elsewhere in England. However, the gap between disadvantaged and wealthier pupils grew most sharply in the South East and South West regions.
Government Response and Targets
The Government has pledged to halve the disadvantage gap by the time the current generation of children finishes secondary school. A Government spokesperson said: "This report is further proof that the education system this government inherited entrenches disadvantage - so we are already doing whatever it takes to ensure every child has access to opportunity, regardless of their background."
The spokesperson added that the government is expanding government-funded childcare, extending free school meals, ending the two-child cap to help lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty, and overseeing a £4 billion transformation of the SEND system.
Last week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the time had come to build towards a “bolder future” of “universal early years education” so disadvantaged children no longer miss out.
Expert and Union Reactions
Julie McCulloch, chief executive of the EPI, said: “The size of the gap between the educational outcomes of children from more and less advantaged backgrounds is a scourge on our society.” She called the government’s target to halve the gap “right and welcome,” but warned that “on current trends, the distance between where we are and where the government wants to be is growing, not shrinking.”
She urged the incoming Prime Minister—likely Labour's Andy Burnham—to have a “laser-like focus” on delivering the pledge, adding: “What happens next should not be a reset or a retreat from that ambition.”
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, argued that current tests and assessments “set many students up to fail, overwhelmingly those from less advantaged backgrounds.” He called for an end to statutory testing in primary school and broader assessment approaches in secondary schools.
The Local Government Association urged more investment in the SEND workforce and a review of childcare eligibility to ensure lower-income families do not miss out.
