Attendance and reading key barriers to disadvantaged pupils’ progress say three in four schools

Three quarters of schools in England say poor attendance and low-reading levels are the biggest challenges affecting their socio-economically disadvantaged pupils’ academic achievement.

This is according to analysis of Pupil Premium statements conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and undertaken to support their suite of new resources to help schools use their Pupil Premium funding in the most effective ways.

Analysis of a representative sample of 300 schools’ Pupil Premium strategy statements found that 75% cited attendance and 74% mentioned reading as the main barriers to attainment for their pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding.

Supporting schools to tackle the factors hindering socio-economically disadvantaged pupils’ progress has never been more important. The gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates remains stubbornly wide, and more families are falling below the poverty line as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Just over 2.2 million pupils were eligible for Pupil Premium funding in January 2023, an increase of around 2% on the previous year.