Breaking the cycle of white working class underachievement
Some schools are successfully bucking the trend in which white boys and girls on free school meals are the lowest attaining group in the country, apart from Gypsy and Traveller children, and future school leaders need to see these schools in action and learn from them how to challenge social stereotypes based on class, says the report.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Future head teachers should spend time in schools where white working class pupils are successful to learn how to disrupt the cycle of serious under achievement endemic in this group of young people since mass education was introduced in the Victorian times, according to new research from Manchester University, commissioned by the National Union of Teachers and the National College for School Leadership.
Some schools are successfully bucking the trend in which white boys and girls on free school meals are the lowest attaining group in the country, apart from Gypsy and Traveller children, and future school leaders need to see these schools in action and learn from them how to challenge social stereotypes based on class, says the report.
The training of teachers and school leaders has to tackle class stereotypes in the same way that it does ethnic and gender stereotypes, argues the report "Successful Leadership for Promoting the Achievement of White Working Class Pupils" by Dr Denis Mongon, Senior Research Fellow and Dr Chris Chapman, Reader in Educational Leadership and Improvement, at the School of Education, University of Manchester.
The groundbreaking study was commissioned by the NUT and NCSL against a background of growing national concern about the educational performance of the low income white working class.
The research team were asked:
to summarise the key leadership characteristics required to promote the achievement of white working class pupils to describe the key challenges faced by school leaders in promoting the achievement of white working class pupils to report on the good practice that exists and what it tells us to outline the support and professional development needed to enable school leaders to develop the key characteristics and overcome the key challenges The study involved the first ever review of literature on the subject which confirms that after more than a century of free, compulsory education and sixty years of the welfare state, family income and status are by far the most significant correlates of success in the school system. Although gender is also an independent and significant factor, the social class attainment gap at age 16 is three times as wide as the gender gap.
The researchers also undertook a series of visits into schools where the predominantly white working class intake did significantly better than the national average for the group to look at the characteristics of the head teachers. They found there that the successful leaders were dogged in their pursuit of the most effective staff, versatile in their use of budgets and concerned about the effects of the move from primary to secondary school, when many pupils lose ground. They were also acutely aware of the effect of local re-organisation of schools on their students and the report recommends that local authorities take into account the impact on the most disadvantaged students, whenever a change in local provision is considered.
The researchers highlight how the successful school leaders spend time recruiting and 'growing' their own workforce - a time consuming but rewarding part of their work. The report recommends that if school leaders choose collectively to be responsible for the achievements of all the pupils in the area - regardless which school they attend - they should be supported by local and national agencies and a more systematic approach to deploying the best leaders and teachers in the areas of greatest need should be explored.
The school leaders in the study were creative in their use of funding but wanted even greater flexibility. The researchers argue that funding streams should be reconfigured and used sensitively, particularly in deprived areas, in part to recognise the impact of deprivation on the achievement of white working class pupils.
When they examined the characteristics of the successful heads the researchers found no "silver bullet" which improved attainment in students from poor white working class backgrounds - the schools visited were all using approaches to running their schools which are associated with school improvement and effectiveness.
The heads differed in their personal approaches to their work - some were always calm in the face of difficult parents, others 'fought fire with fire' but all had high expectations of all their students and were consistent in their approach. As one head summed up how it was for him "It's an attitude. We simply don't accept the estate as an excuse for second best; we have high expectations, everyday, everybody."
They showed a profound respect for the people and areas they were working with and had often deliberately chosen to work with these types of communities. Several came from low income backgrounds themselves. They were sensitive to the emotional state of their pupils and colleagues and, as a result, were deeply admired across the staff and student body.
Crucially, a number of the head teachers in the study had been in post for several years and spoke of the importance of building a deep respect for the community they served. They were drawing on distinctive positive characteristics in themselves, a strong sense of moral purpose, and were working with the grain of their communities to raise aspirations.
The report's authors found the head teachers drew on different intelligences such as a sensitivity to the local context and to the emotional state of their pupils and colleagues. They also drew on personality characteristics such as a willingness to take responsibility for their behaviour and its consequences and to attribute events in their life to their own control and not to blame others.
Steve Munby, Chief Executive of the National College for School Leadership, said: "What these headteachers do is remarkable. They are demonstrating the best sort of resilient and courageous leadership in their unremitting commitment to improving the lives of the most disadvantaged children and young people in our society. We will learn from this powerful leadership to support other heads to break the cycle of poverty and low educational achievement and help all children achieve their potential."
Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers said: "Poverty can never be used as an excuse but the stark fact is that it is the reason for low achievement among many white working class young people. This research demonstrates how schools can tackle the damaging influence of poverty. The leaders in this study have shown that the goal of a good local school for every child can be achieved. The last thing they need is imposed re-organisation and change. We should all learn from the success of their schools."
The authors conclude: " Much has been written about how schools can be improved or made increasingly effective and there is an extensive body of research about the strategies and tactics employed by 'effective' school leaders. Less is known about the character and characteristics of those leaders. Perhaps more knowledge about those features will help the education service to prepare and provide more leaders for similar contexts and to disrupt the cycle of poor attainment that has dogged some communities since the end of the 19th century."
Notes for editors 1. 'Successful leadership for promoting the achievement of white working class pupils' was commissioned by the National Union of Teachers and the National College for School Leadership and produced by Manchester University.
The researchers undertook a series of visits into schools where the predominantly white working class intake did significantly better than the national average and the report includes “Twelve Accounts of School Life” by Denis Mongon and Christopher Chapman ( School of Education, University of Manchester ) focussing on:
Bishopsgarth Specialist Maths and Computing College, Stockton on Tees Harrow Gate Primary School, Stockton on Tees Bartley Green Specialist Technology and Sport College, west Birmingham Cardinal Hume RC Specialist Maths and Computing College, Gateshead Edward Sheerien, Barnsley, South Yorkshire St Mary’s, Workington, Cumbria Greenside Primary, Tameside, Greater Manchester. Guildford Grove Primary School, Guildford, Surrey Redbridge Sports Specialist College, Southampton Robert Clack Specialist Science College, Barking and Dagenham, London Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language College, Islington, London Castilion Primary School, Bexley, London 3. For media enquiries, including details of the report's authors, please contact Wendy Berliner or Anna Zachariassen in the National College for School Leadership ( NCSL ) press office on 0115 872 2553.
4: For interviews with Dr Denis Mongon and Dr Christopher Chapman contact Mike Addelman, Media Relations Officer, Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, 0161 275 0790/07717 881567
Release Date
This story was released on 2008-11-12. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.
