Response to the EPI and Renaissance report measuring the outcomes of different pupil groups

Responding to the Education Policy Institute and Renaissance report, Diana Sutton, Director said:- 

“This report shines a light on the pandemic’s profound impact on pupils’ learning.

As it so clearly demonstrates, pupils who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL), along with other groups, have been hard hit by the pandemic.

We know that EAL pupils typically make faster progress than non-EAL pupils, due to an often lower starting point, but a clear attainment gap remains. As shown by this report, non-EAL pupils continue to outperform EAL pupils in reading at primary and secondary level, and in maths at secondary level.

This demonstrates, more than ever, the importance of delivering tailored classroom support for EAL pupils. Central to this is adequate funding for EAL pupils in the schools’ funding formula, and effective, evidence-based teacher training.

The evidence is clear: for the one in five pupils who speak EAL, it is their level of proficiency which has the strongest relationship with attainment, explaining up to 4-6 times as much variation in achievement as gender, free school meals and ethnicity combined.

Schools should accurately assess proficiency in English, ensuring they have the information they need to support EAL pupils, to deliver tailored classroom support, and enable all learners to fully access the curriculum.”

Diana Sutton, Director of The Bell Foundation 

Find out more about the Foundation's policy recommendations.