EALAW Conference 29 th March 2011 Newport Minority Ethnic Achievement: Myth or Miracle? What do the statistics for Wales tell us about Race Equality in schools? Dr. Jonathan Brentnall

1. Big Picture Context Inform work with individuals In the stats – every child matters At a social level – every child matters Statistics influence expectations – use them carefully

2. Potential v Attainment Grouped attainment statistics are NOT a measurement of POTENTIAL (group or individual) Only tell you what pupils ATTAINED measured against a particular level at a certain time – not what they’re CAPABLE of

3. Achievement v Attainment A child may ACHIEVE much but NOT ATTAIN a set target level A child may make great progress but still not ATTAIN the level of their peers

4. Assessments contain bias Socially constructed Culturally framed Biased towards those who share a similar social and cultural framework of experience Certain kinds of knowledge, understanding and skills are valued more than others Built-in disadvantage for some

5. Working within the system Curriculum & testing need to be addressed at a political, policy level Some room for professional discretion Tacit acceptance of working within the statutory framework Ultimately – children & people are judged by their level of success in the education system – as it is

6. Racial/ethnic differences or inequalities? Gender pay gap = Unequal Pay Underlying principle – men and women are equal All equal – equal entitlements – equal opportunities – equal access – equal outcomes Different educational/assessment outcomes impact on … further & higher education uptake, career options, earnings, social mobility, quality of life …

7. Explaining the statistics Pupil population divided up by race/ethnicity Ethnic identities - intermediate categories Small numbers = less reliable statistics Aggregated = more robust statistics Attainment – CSI (Eng, Maths, Sci) KS1-4 Gender KS4 ( ), Free School Meals (2009/10), Exclusions ( ), EAL Stages (2010)

       Distribution of attainment in norm-based assessment Level of attainment Number of people

    High target level of attainment (few can achieve) Level of attainment Number of people

                                       Lower target level of attainment (more can achieve) Level of attainment Number of people

                                                                                                   Low target level of attainment (most can achieve) Level of attainment Number of people

              In an EQUAL system - % people attaining the target / expected level Comparison of different groupings %

NC Assessment & exams The statistics represent: All pupils recorded in PLASC on roll & assessed Combined figures for 6 years from drawn from Statistical bulletins SB 16/2008 ( ) and SB 24/2011 ( )

L2L4L5A*-C

What do the attainment statistics tell us? Higher proportions of pupils from several minority ethnic groupings attain expected levels: Chinese, Indian, Mixed White & Asian, Any other Asian background, Any other Mixed background In several minority groupings, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level increases from KS1-4 compared to the national figure: Any other white background, Any other ethnic group, Mixed White and Black African, Pakistani, Bangladeshi

What do the attainment statistics tell us? Some groupings start at a disadvantage: Gypsy/Roma, Traveller, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, Mixed White & Black Caribbean, Any other Black background, Mixed White & Black African, Any other White and Any other ethnic group. Some groupings - proportions decline over time: Gypsy/Roma, Traveller, Black Caribbean, Black African, Mixed White and Black Caribbean, Any other Black backgd. Issues at all Key Stages – most gps decline highest in KS3

Gender & Attainment Are there any differences between boys’ and girls’ attainments?

Gender gap Several groupings with low numbers of attainers - smaller gap between boys and girls. Several groupings with high numbers of attainers - larger gap between boys and girls. Pakistani & Bangladeshi heritage boys behind. Chinese, Indian, Any other Asian, Any other Mixed background boys behind.

EAL Stage How significant is EAL proficiency?

FSM eligibility How significant is socio-economic background?

Exclusions Do exclusion rates tell us anything about race equality in schools in Wales?

Conclusions Equal educational outcomes are not a reality for pupils of all ethnic backgrounds in Wales. Some of the inequalities are unacceptable. Girls & boys attainment differs between groups. In some groupings pupils make very good progress.

Conclusions A disproportionate number of pupils from several minority ethnic groupings experience socio- economic disadvantage. Pupils from certain ethnic backgrounds experience a disproportionate number of exclusions. EAL proficiency appears significant for some but not all attainment patterns

What can we do? Identify the reasons for low attainment: the factors contributing to low achievement Identify the best practice strategies for tackling the negative factors and supporting achievement Define what needs to be done to improve current policy and practice

Focus Groups Travellers & Gypsy/Roma Mixed White and Black Caribbean & Mixed White and Black African Black African Black Caribbean

Focus Groups Late Arrivals into Secondary Pupils in Welsh-medium and bilingual schools EU migrants (Any other White) Pakistani & Bangladeshi

Focus Group Tasks Task 1 – Prioritise good practice strategies Task 2 – What needs to be done to make policy and practice more effective? Facilitated task-based discussions. Written up and put up on EALAW website.

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