Having had the privilege of visiting, and working with leaders, teachers and pupils in schools where pupils facing disadvantage are thriving, the following themes seem to stand out:
1) Commit to the principle that working with disadvantaged pupils is a privilege, not a problem to resolve.
2) Coalesce a culture and belief that all pupils, irrespective of background or starting point, can attain well and thrive in wider school life.
3) Understand low family income and its impact on opportunity, child development and health. Understand the impact of low family income on children inside school and out.
4) Agree, as a school, that low family income should never be a barrier to opportunity in the classroom and wider school life. Family income should never be an obstacle to accessing all that school has to offer.
