Social class attainment Flashcards
Social Class
social class is way of grouping people in society based on wealth, income, power, and status.
Within social class groups, individuals tend to have similar occupations (“white collar” & “blue collar”) and salaries, as well as cultural norms and values.
Those in lower class positions tend to experience economic inequalities, which can impact other aspects of their life (e.g. education)
People are often divided in to upper, middle, and working class. However, class can be far more complex than this, and sociologists have different ways of defining and measuring it…
attainment gap
The gap between those in the lower levels of the class structure and those above them.
Differential educational attainment
Achievement in education differs according to social class, gender and ethnicity.
Free School Meals (FSM
Children whose families receive qualifying benefits are entitled to free school meals. For example, if their parents receive Universal Credit, Income Support, or Child Tax Credits.
Pupil Premium
All children who currently qualify for free school meals based on their family circumstances are entitled to pupil premium. Funding is given to schools, allocated to these children to be used to enhance their attainment.
How is class attainment measured?
Since 2011, the DfE has compared the educational achievements of FSM and non-FSM pupils. Prior to 2011, they published data based on social class schemas including NS-SEC and SEG
Department for Education- GCSE results of pupils at the end of KS4 in state-funded schools (2022/23)
Department for Education- GCSE results of pupils at the end of KS4 in state-funded schools (2022/23)
45.3% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSES
25.2% of disadvantaged (FSM) pupils achieved grades 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSES
The average attainment 8 score of all pupils was 46.3
For FSM pupils, this was 35
Further education
2021/22 data shows that 39% for those eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) achieved 2 A-levels or more (or equivalent to this). This compares to the average for all pupils being 60%
Disadvantaged students also have lower retention rates (the percentage of students who have completed their main study programme at a provider). In 2022, 95.2% of non-disadvantaged A level students were retained and assessed compared to 89.6% of disadvantaged students.
Higher Education
In HE, 51% of university student enrolments came from parents who worked in higher or lower managerial and professional occupations. This compares to 21% from families in routine or semi-routine occupations, and just 1% from families with long-term unemployment.
Furthermore, 82.5 per cent of students eligible for free school meals completed their course, compared to 90.8 per cent of students who were not eligible
Why do middle-class students perform better?
One explanation is that more middle-class parents can afford to send their children to private schools, with more resources and smaller class sizes (and some believe higher standards of teaching ), but this does not explain class differences within state schools.
We will start by looking at patterns of attainment within the state sector, and then move on to look at explanations of why these inequalities exist Explanations can be put in to two groups:
External factors- factors outside of the education system
cultural deprivation, material deprivation, cultural capital
Internal factors- factors within school and the education system
Labelling, SFP, subcultures, setting and streaming
