Education Policies: Impact of policies on the achievement of social groups

Question 1

Social Class (Positive): Pupil Premium

Answer 1

If spent correctly this money overcomes material deprivation faced by the WC and gives them the opportunity to develop cultural capital

Question 2

Social Class (Positive): EMA

Answer 2

Encouraged WC students to continue studying post-16 by overcoming barriers posed by material deprivation

Question 3

Social Class (Positive): Excellence in Cities

Answer 3

Raises the aspirations of WC students living in deprived inner city areas e.g Lawyers in Schools

Question 4

Social Class (Positive): Sponsored Academies

Answer 4

WC students in failing sink schools get the opportunity to work in a more successful school and achieve higher grades as a result

Question 5

Social Class (Negative): Compensatory Education (FSM)

Answer 5

Many WC don’t take the FSM due to the stigma and fear of being bullied

Question 6

Social Class (Negative): Increase in University tuition fees

Answer 6

WC students are economically excluded and can’t afford high fees due to material deprivation

Question 7

Social Class (Negative): Pupil Premium

Answer 7

Schools often spend extra money on marketisation, not to help WC pupils

Question 8

Social Class (Negative): Marketisation Policies

Answer 8

-Educational Triage/A-C Economy disadvantages WC pupils who end up in the “hopeless cases” category
-The most popular schools cream skim MC students
-Parentocracy is a myth - only MC parents can take advantage using their capital

Question 9

Gender (Positive): Equal opportunities policies

Answer 9

GIST and WISE have encouraged girls to choose traditionally masculine subjects such as physics

Question 10

Gender (Positive): The National Curriculum

Answer 10

Meant that girls had to take maths and science when they previously didn’t, giving girls greater equality of opportunity

Question 11

Gender (Positive): Coursework

Answer 11

Improved achievement of girls who are seen as better suited to coursework as a result of gender socialisation and bedroom culture

Question 12

Gender (Positive): Boys Reading Schemes

Answer 12

E.g The Reading Champions Scheme - make celebrities promoted boys reading such as David Beckham

Question 13

Gender (Negative): Gendered Subject Choice despite GIST and WISE

Answer 13

Many girls still choose traditionally female subjects like English and Health and Social Care

Question 14

Gender (Negative): The Tripartite System disadvantages girls

Answer 14

Girls had to score a higher mark than boys in the 11+ exam in order to gain a place at a grammar school because there were very few places for them

Question 15

Gender (Negative): Introduction of coursework disadvantages boys

Answer 15

Boys do not have the bedroom culture that girls have and generally prefer to “swot up” before exams, rather than continuous assessment which requires ongoing motivation

Question 16

Ethnicity (Positive): Multicultural Education

Answer 16

-An education system which equally values and emphasises the contribution of all ethnic groups
-Students from ethnic backgrounds feel recognised and valued

Question 17

Ethnicity (Negative): The Prevent Strategy

Answer 17

-The education system needs to prioritise British Culture in English and History, not promoting a multicultural education
-The Prevent Strategy focuses on preventing religious fundamentalism making some ethnic groups feel targeted and victimised

Question 18

Ethnicity (Negative): Marketisation Policies

Answer 18

Parents who are EAL will struggle to understand the school application forms and will not be able to talk to teachers at open days

Question 19

Ethnicity (Negative): Assimilation Policies

Answer 19

-Focussed on the need for pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds to assimilate into mainstream British Culture
-Their own cultures were given little recognition