Poorer children’s educational attainment

A report which makes extensive use of CLS data was published at the end of March by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Poor children’s educational attainment: how important are attitudes and behaviour? uses a number of large-scale data sources, including the MCS and the BCS70, to look at groups of children in the UK from early childhood to late adolescence with a view to answering the question: How much do affluence and disadvantage influence educational attainment?

The study examines the attainment gaps between richer and poorer children and the influences on these, from pre-school (using MCS data) through to secondary school. It considers the importance of expectations and aspirations for higher education; examines the intergenerational picture (using BCS70 data); and suggest some policy conclusions relating to parents and the family home, and children’s own attitudes and behaviours.

Poor children’s educational attainment: how important are attitudes and behaviour? edited by Alissa Goodman and Paul Greg was published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 29 March 2010. It is available at: www.jrf.org.uk/publications/educational-attainment-poor-children