Report cards will herald revolution

ENGLAND – A new system would drive the progress of the most gifted and most disadvantaged as well as the aver-age pupil in every school.

Ed Balls, secretary of state for Children Schools and Families, set out evidence showing how the link is being broken between deprivation and poor attainment but will argue there is much more to do – this is a challenge for every school in every area including supporting disadvantaged pupils in more affluent areas.

But speaking to the Association of College and School Leaders annual conference in Birmingham Mr Balls said that all schools – including those in affluent areas – have a role to play in breaking the link.

Only a quarter of pupils entitled to free schools meals are in the most deprived areas and 28 per cent of all secondary pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) are in schools with below average levels of deprivation.

He said that over the past 10 years, gaps between areas and between schools have narrowed significantly with faster progress made by more deprived areas and by schools with the highest levels of free school meal pupils.

But FSM pupils are still over three times less likely to get these good GCSE grades than a child who is not entitled to free school meals and are over three times less likely to succeed at every Key Stage than a non free school meals pupil.

“We have to do more to maximise the progress of the most disadvantaged pupils in all schools and this is not just a challenge to some heads in some schools – but to all heads in all schools,” said Mr Balls.

“The school report card will herald a revolution in school accountability so that heads will be measured on the progress of every child rather than the average.

“I understand the frustration of school leaders. They know that parents like to use league tables because they provide clear information about performance and allow them to compare local schools but those league tables focus on the performance of the average child in the school.

“They don’t recognise whether schools are stretching their most gifted and talented pupils or helping those who have fallen behind catch-up. And while league tables allow schools to demonstrate progress, they don’t recognise how well schools are collaborating with other local schools and driving up standards in both.

“And that’s why I believe we have a real opportunity with our new School Report Card to revolutionise the school accountability system so that for the first time it properly reflects exactly what our great school leaders and modern state schools are all about.

“Great schools are about improving standards and working in partnership, supporting the progress of every pupil and tackling all the barriers to the progress and well being of children.

“There are still some big issues for us to overcome but we are determined to work with you to get this right. Because if we do so, I do believe that we can provide the intelligent accountability and the right incentives for schools to do the things that they need to do to both raise standards and break the link between deprivation and attainment.”