EEF response to EPI report on disadvantage gaps in England

Commenting on a new report from the Education Policy Institute about disadvantage gaps in England, Professor Becky Francis, Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

“Today’s findings from the Education Policy Institute are a stark reminder of the inequality entrenched in our schools, and the scale of the challenge that closing the attainment gap presents.

“Educators are doing everything in their power to recover and boost socio-economically disadvantaged pupils’ learning, but they cannot do it alone.

“We have a collective responsibility to ensure that a child’s background doesn’t limit their life chances. Crucial supports such as the pupil premium must be protected, ideally increasing in real terms, in order to ensure our teachers have the resource they need to help level the playing field for all of their pupils.”