07 April 2006
Primary school pupils could be measured against individual development targets under plans to boost social mobility being considered by the Cabinet Office, Public Finance has learnt.
Jim Murphy, the Cabinet Office minister co-ordinating the public services reform agenda, has revealed that he is mulling over a 'natural extension' of the government's 'personalisation' programme. This would mean targeted schemes for children from socioeconomic groups who have not benefited from education improvements under Labour.
Chancellor Gordon Brown's Budget last month allocated £930m in funding by 2007/08 to deliver 'tailored support' for children – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – under the Department for Education and Skills' personalised learning programme.
Murphy indicated to PF that the extra investment could come with strings attached. He said he may have 'to refine' how schools target improvements in standards.
Recent research indicates that the attainment gap between middle and lower socioeconomic groups has not decreased since Labour came to power.
Murphy said schools could be asked to focus resources on individuals 'traditionally stymied in terms of improved attainment', but not at the expense of successful pupils.
He said: 'Each child, I think, should be measured against some sort of “expected progress”. We have league tables for schools and that's important because people need to make informed choices. But there are instances where there's a degree of coasting.'
He said that there were pupils whose lack of achievement was masked by the fact that the school was doing well generally.
He added that he would like to get to a position where pupils were 'marked against expected progress as an individual, rather than just as part of a collective'.
Murphy believes an intensified focus on individual attainment is crucial to kick-starting stalled social mobility – something he reiterated in a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research think-tank on April 4.
'We have to ask ourselves if we have done enough to improve the lot of those who are currently not benefiting – and the answer without doubt is no,' he told PF.
Murphy recognised there were 'too many central government targets', but said that the personalised learning could be a useful area for target-setters.
However, Martin Rogers, co-ordinator at the Children's Services Network, warned of conflict with plans for schools' autonomy.
'It's a difficult balance to strike. Solutions to low attainment among some groups could require local knowledge… Poor attainment at one school could be down to language-based issues, whereas a nearby school could face vastly different challenges.'
PFapr2006
