Against the Odds: achieving greater progress for disadvantaged students at Progress 8

There is a persistent attainment gap between children entitled to free school meals and those who are not. This gap is evident at every stage of education from Key Stage 1 phonics right through to A level and beyond. However, in both 2017 and 2018, in 6 per cent of secondary schools, GCSE Progress 8 scores were higher amongst disadvantaged students than the school average. This means children from very poor backgrounds made more progress from Key Stage 2 relative to their starting points compared to the school aver...