Government aims to halve attainment gap for disadvantaged students

The government plans to halve the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers by the time children born in this Parliament finish secondary school, with measures set out in a Schools White Paper due Monday morning.

The government says it intends to halve the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in England. The goal is timed for children born during this Parliament to finish secondary school. Details are expected to be published in a new Schools White Paper on Monday morning. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the reforms aim to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Key details: - The government plans to halve the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers by the time children born in this Parliament finish secondary school. - The measures are expected to appear in a Schools White Paper due to be published on Monday morning. - Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the reforms aim to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. - The White Paper is reported to include changes to support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) that are described as radical and potentially controversial and would require backing from Labour MPs. Summary: If carried forward, the reforms are intended to reduce disparities in school attainment between disadvantaged pupils and others. The full Schools White Paper will be published on Monday, and the proposed changes to SEND support are likely to require political agreement from Labour MPs. Further details and the route to implementation will become clearer once the White Paper is released.