Sutton Trust: social mobility in UK 'lagging behind other nations'

Schoolchildren from deprived backgrounds are more likely to underachieve in the UK than other developed nations, according to the Sutton Trust.?Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Research shows that the education gap between disadvantaged and “privileged” pupils is wider in the UK than elsewhere in the developed world.

Data suggests that children from low-income homes are more than a year behind richer classmates as they start school aged five.

The disclosure – in a study by the Sutton Trust charity – comes just days after Ofsted warned that deprivation continued to be a “significant factor influencing the quality of schools” in England.

In a blow to Labour’s education legacy, the watchdog said that schools serving the poorest 20 per cent of pupils were four times more likely to be “inadequate” than those for the wealthiest 20 per cent.

Sir Peter Lampl, the Sutton Trust chairman, said the problem was likely to get worse in coming years as children from wealthier backgrounds continue to pull ahead.

This comes despite a range of Coalition policies designed to tackle the problem, including the introduction of the “pupil premium” to reward schools taking large numbers of deprived children.

"These latest international comparisons confirm that the education gaps at every stage between disadvantaged children and privileged children are greater in the UK than in other developed countries,” said Sir Peter.

"In this country, unlike others, the educational achievement gap widens after age 11. As education is becoming increasingly important in determining prospects in adult life, these findings do not bode well for future social mobility in the UK.”

The study compares data from the UK and England with nine other countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada and Germany. It uses a series of indicators to assess children’s education and family background.

One dataset shows children’s average vocabulary scores at the age of five – when pupils start compulsory education – and ranks them from one to 100. Children with highly educated parents in the UK – those with at least a degree – were ranked in the 67 percentile on average, while those whose mothers and fathers left school with few qualifications were placed in the 29th percentile.

The 38 percentage point gap was “significantly larger” in the UK than in all countries other than the United States, where it extended to 46 points, it was disclosed.

The study also cites previous research by the Sutton Trust which showed children from “low income homes are over a year behind children from high income homes at the start of schooling in the UK”.

In a further move, researchers analysed the difference in academic standards achieved by pupils between the age of 11 and 16.

It found that gaps in achievement in the UK became “substantially bigger” at 16 compared with 11, although it found “no evidence of this… in other countries”.

The study said the differences were driven by the “social stratification that exists” in secondary education, adding: “The widening of the education gap in pupil performance after primary school appears to be related to the sorting of children into secondary schools. Better educated parents have their children in better quality schools.”

The conclusions come as a new education think-tank is launed on Monday in an attempt to promote fresh debate on the education system.

The Education Foundation – funded by a number of academics and head teachers – will seek to "inform the debate through a range of research and practical projects".

Ty Goddard, former chairman for education in the London Borough of Lambeth, and a Government advisor, said: “There’s much to celebrate when it comes to education in the UK. Millions of learners do well at school and in further and higher education, preparing for a changing world.

"But as last week’s Ofsted annual report showed, some do not, despite the resources available."

Other modern European languages degree course guide

Modern linguists are generally in demand, thanks to their ability to communicate where others fail?Photo: Markku Ulander/Rex Features

"Language is the dress of thought." Samuel Johnson

What qualification do you leave with?

Usually a BA. Scottish universities typically offer MAs

What does it cover?

Portuguese, Scandinavian and Russian/Eastern European studies enable students to get to grips with languages and cultures which are less widely-studied in the UK. This potentially gives graduates in these subjects scarcity value for employers, while often these courses benefit from having small teaching groups. All these courses include linguistic study, from beginner level, throughout the degree, and also offer a year abroad at university, working in a school or on work placement.

Portuguese, which outside the universities of Oxford and Cambridge is usually offered in combination with another subject in a joint honours degree, gives students the chance to acquire fluency in the language, histories, literature, film and wider culture not only of Portugal, but of Brazil and of African nations including Angola and Mozambique. It is also possible to study Portuguese as part of Hispanic Studies courses which also embrace Spanish language and culture. (See Spanish/Hispanic Studies).

Scandinavian Studies courses are available at the universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and University College London. Students get the chance to learn Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, while encountering the literature of their specialist country from the Middle Ages to the modern period, studying the history and politics of the region and being given the chance to specialise in aspects ranging from linguistics to music. Specialist options include "The Enlightenment in Scandinavia", "Ingmar Bergman and cinema" and "Nordic welfare states and social democracy". UCL also offers modules covering Finland and Iceland, and a course in Viking Studies.

Russian/Eastern European studies is more widely offered, and allows students to investigate these rapidly developing though persistently enigmatic societies, their often traumatic histories and their rich cultural backgrounds. Students will be able to select options including a focus on Russian writers including Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, on modern Russian history, on individual personal experiences of the Soviet regime and, in some courses, to take complementary language study in Czech, Polish or Ukrainian.

European Studies tends to emphasise contemporary continental politics and history, which students can study while building fluency in one or two European languages. Some courses, such as that at University College London, also offer students the chance to specialise in aspects of European civilisation much wider than politics, including anthropology, law, philosophy and urban planning, while modules taught at the University of Essex include "sociology of the new Europe" and "art, sex and death in 18th century Europe". Students will also learn about the institutions and politics of the European Union.

What to expect

A chance to follow your interests in learning about fascinating cultures less commonly investigated in this country.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

These degrees tend not to insist on the relevant language at A-level, as they offer teaching in the subject for beginner linguists. Teaching is, however, generally tailored so that those who do have proficiency will be taught at a higher linguistic level in the degree's initial years. Many courses require or prefer a language of some kind at A-level. Good GCSE grades in English, maths and sometimes a language are also often stipulated.

Career prospects

Modern linguists are generally in demand, and those fluent in either Portuguese, in Scandinavian languages or in Eastern European languages have the added advantage that their skills are relatively rarely found in Britain. Graduates with Portuguese, benefiting from the language's connection with Brazil, and Russian linguists, will gain in particular from the fast-developing opportunities associated with these countries' booming economies. Graduates in these subjects find work as translators/interpreters, in international companies, in journalism and broadcasting, in teaching and in the civil and diplomatic services. European Studies graduates are particularly well-placed to work within the institutions of the European Union.

Top places to study

The Complete University Guide rates Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, St Andrews and Bath as the top five universities for Iberian Languages according to an index based on student satisfaction, entry standards, an assessment of the quality of the university's research and graduate prospects. For Russian and East European Languages, the guide's top-ranked universities are Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Exeter and Bristol. The guide does not provide ratings for Scandinavian Studies and European Studies.

Other creative arts: film studies/photography, craft, imaginative writing degree course guide

Craft BAs tend to last three years. FdA craft courses usually take two years.

Imaginative writing degrees usually last three years.

What does it cover?

The emphasis in film-related courses tends to vary, depending on the institution, between developing a more academic understanding of cinema and the moving image, and hands-on practical work creating films. Examples of the former approach include the course at Southampton, where modules on "early silent cinema from 1825 to 1928" and "utopian and dystopian science fiction cinema" compete for students' attention beside practical work in a modern video production suite. Courses in film production and cinematography, by contrast, see much more emphasis on building vocational skills of production, directing and editing. Nevertheless, almost all courses include both theoretical/critical and practical modules.

Photography courses tend to have the development of students' photographic skills at their core, with critical, contextual and historical modules used in support to build students' analytical understanding. Courses often culminate in a final degree show of students' work. At universities including Leeds and Roehampton, undergraduates can combine film studies and photography.

Craft degrees can be categorised as those offering the chance to follow an initially broad-based course, such as in design crafts or three dimensional design, and then to specialise within that course; and those targeted throughout at a specialist craft field, including jewellery, furniture design, textiles, theatrical design and embroidery. Most will combine extensive technical and practical work with more theoretical or conceptual study, interaction with current professionals including work placements, and often the opportunity to showcase your work in a degree show.

Creative writing degrees focus on building students' literary and imaginative skills, with guidance not only from course tutors – many of whom will be professional writers themselves – but often from visiting writers and through discussion with fellow students in workshops. Students will also explore the work of established writers through extensive reading. Britain also boasts several scriptwriting degrees, embracing writing for the theatre and radio alongside television and film, as well as courses focused specifically on writing for the screen. Again, the approach is to focus on developing individual writing capability, while developing background understanding of the craft. Workplace placements are often central to these courses.

What can you expect?

The chance to develop practical creative skills while building theoretical and background knowledge. This will prepare many graduates for a place in Britain's established and often thriving creative industries.

What are the usual A-levels you need?

Film studies/photography: universities often prefer candidates to have passed an A-level in English or a media or arts-related subject. There is a strong chance they will want to interview you, too, and you may be asked to provide examples of your creative work.

Craft: some universities prefer candidates to have an A-level or equivalent in art and design or a related subject. Some require students to have taken a foundation course. Many students will be interviewed, and it is routine for candidates to have to produce examples of their work.

Imaginative writing: students can expect to be interviewed, while many universities also ask for examples of their creative writing. Some universities require or prefer undergraduates to have achieved success in English Literature A-level or in wider arts/humanities A-levels.

Career prospects

Film studies/photography. Though there is high competition for entry to the visual industries, they also provide varied career opportunities. Students with experience and flair in visual arts get work in film production, screenwriting, advertising, the video games industry, web design, journalism, and commercial, architectural, art and fashion photography.

Craft: these are vocationally-orientated degrees, preparing undergraduates to put their skills to use in the commercial or artistic worlds, so students generally tend to seek employment directly related to that field, from jewellery to furniture design.

Imaginative writing: some creative writing students do go on to become professional writers of fiction, although this is a highly competitive field. Others go into newspaper and magazine journalism, the book trade, library and archivist work and lecturing, or into the less directly related careers of web design, marketing and publicity and administration. Script/screenwriting students go into writing for TV, film and radio, as well as working in the computer game field, in script reading and editing and in wider careers in the media and communications.