Why we must look beyond school to help pupils - Raksha Pattni

Every GCSE results day, we ask why some parts of England outperform others. Yet after decades of reform, one uncomfortable truth remains: England’s attainment map still looks remarkably like its poverty map.

The results are published. Regional league tables appear. Politicians congratulate themselves or blame their predecessors. Schools are praised or criticised. And somewhere in the coverage, we ask why children in one part of the country are achieving more than children elsewhere.

This year, 20.6 per cent of GCSE entries by 16-year-olds in Yorkshire and the Humber achieved Grade 7 or above, compared with 30.2 per cent in London, a gap of 9.6 percentage points that has widened from 7.6 points before the pandemic in 2019, despite some improvement in this region this year.

If we read these figures simply as a verdict on school quality, we miss the bigger story. The persistence of these attainment gaps, despite years of reforms, strategies and initiatives, should give us pause. It suggests that while schools play a vital role, educational outcomes remain heavily influenced by the opportunities and barriers children experience beyond the classroom.

Schools matter enormously. Access to excellent teaching is one of the strongest levers we have to improve children’s lives. Strong leadership, an ambitious curriculum, high expectations and good attendance all count. But attainment is also shaped by what happens before, after and beyond the school gates.

A child who arrives at school hungry, who moves repeatedly because their family cannot secure stable housing, or whose parents are struggling to access employment and public services, is not starting from the same position as a child with greater security and opportunity.

Teachers and leaders need the time and capacity to understand why some pupils thrive while others do not; to listen to children and families; and to understand what is happening in their community. They need the freedom to respond to local circumstances rather than continually being asked to implement the latest national initiative.

They also need better access to evidence. Education too often asks whether a scheme was delivered rather than whether it changed pupils’ experiences and outcomes. We need to know not only what works, but why, for whom and in which circumstances. That means investing in evaluation, sharing what schools learn and giving leaders access to evidence that can inform local decisions.

If education is one of our strongest tools against inequality, funding must match that ambition. Pupils facing long-term disadvantage need sustained investment in excellent teaching, expert leadership and genuine access to opportunity. Short-term and constantly changing initiatives make it difficult for schools to build the stable systems that disadvantaged pupils need.

Schools should understand their pupils, explain their choices and demonstrate impact. But accountability must sit alongside professional trust. There is a world of difference between being told to deliver a mandated intervention and being given sustained resources to identify and address the barriers facing pupils, with a clear expectation of demonstrating what changed. The latter is more demanding, and far more likely to produce lasting improvement.

Schools and colleges can also help connect children and families with the expertise and resources already available in their communities. Businesses can provide mentoring, workplace experiences, careers advice, apprenticeships and professional networks.

Charities and community organisations often have trusted relationships with families and can provide support around attendance, wellbeing or food insecurity.

Through my work with schools, employers and communities across the North, I see every day the difference that strong partnerships can make. Schools cannot address every barrier a child faces alone, but they can act as trusted anchors within their communities. In Bradford, Dixons schools have helped incubate Bradford Parent Power, bringing parents together with schools, universities and community partners to tackle barriers to education and opportunity.

What began as a local initiative has grown into one of the largest Parent Power groups in the country, demonstrating what can happen when families are empowered to shape solutions within their own communities.

When education providers, businesses, charities, universities and public services work together, they can help widen access to opportunities that might otherwise feel out of reach.

Whether through mentoring, workplace experiences, careers guidance, cultural enrichment or support for families, these partnerships help expand young people’s horizons and aspirations. They are not a substitute for tackling inequality, but they are an important part of ensuring that a child’s future is not determined by their circumstances.

That matters particularly in places such as Yorkshire, where economic inequality and educational inequality can be deeply intertwined. A child’s postcode should not determine the quality of education, careers advice, cultural experiences or professional networks available to them. Yet those opportunities remain unevenly distributed.

If we want a different results map, we need to build a different map of opportunity: sustained investment for children facing long-term disadvantage; protection for excellent teaching; stability, evidence and professional trust for schools; and stronger partnerships between schools, colleges, businesses, charities and communities.

GCSE results reflect the opportunities children have had throughout their lives. The inequalities behind today’s results were years in the making and closing them will take time.

But every year we wait is another year of wasted potential. GCSE results tell us where opportunity has been. The choices we make now will determine where it goes next.

Raksha Pattni is Chair of SHINE and a Board Member of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.