Educational and Material Deprivation

What is material deprivation?:

• Inability to afford basic resources that impacts on a child’s educational achievement

• Douglas (1964) ‘Home and the School’- material deprivation has a cumulative effect on achievement

Who suffers from material deprivation?:

• Measurement of material deprivation is usually receipt of free school meals (FSM)

• 4.6 million children (34%) living in poverty in the UK (Social Metrics Commission)- only 13.6% claim FSM

• 45% of children in minority ethnic families are in poverty (Child Poverty Action Group)

• White and mixed ethnicity students on FSM make less progress in secondary school than their non-FSM peers

How does it impact on education?:

• Lack of ability to afford resources and hidden costs

• Overcrowded accommodation

• Part-time jobs

• Diet and nutrition

• Caring responsibilities

How does it impact on education?:

• 90% of schools rated require improvement or lower in deprived areas

• School as detritus- student self-esteem

• Instability in educational provision

What have governments done to take material deprivation?:

New Labour:

• Sure start

• EMA

• Excellence in Cities

• City centre academies

Coalition:

• Universal free school meals to Year 2

• Pupil Premium

Evaluations of material deprivation explanations:

• 2017: 28.6% of FSM pupils achieved 5 GCSEs compared to 60.8% of those not on FSM

• Validity of measurements: many in poverty are not in receipt of FSM

• Chinese students on FSM- 77% achieved 5 GCSEs, and Chinese not on FSM- 78% achieved 5 GCSEs (Strand 2015)

• Most minority ethnic groups have a small gap in Progress 8 scores between those on FSM and those not on FSM

• Impact of material deprivation on in-school behaviours