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Poorest children get worst grades
Children from the poorest families in the county are performing less well in school than their classmates, new figures have revealed.
Just under half of 11-year-olds receiving free school meals – an accepted marker for families on low incomes – reach the expected Government targets before starting secondary school, compared with almost three-quarters of children not eligible for free meals.
Over the past three years, the number of pupils eligible for the free school meals scheme in the county has risen from 587 to 796, with just 47 per cent of these children reaching the Government's expected level four at key stage two.
This is in contrast to the children whose parents' income is too high to qualify for free meals, where 73 per cent reach the expected standard, according to the National Office for Statistics.
But teachers and parents have claimed the facts are not as clear cut as the figures suggest.
John Kidney, headteacher at Alfred Street Junior School in Rushden, said: "Nationally there are children who get free school meals who do not do as well at school, but not all of them do.
"I would say some of the children will do as well as, if not better than, anyone else.
"It is not the free school meals but all the other circumstances in their lives which impact on their education."
Chris Latimer, head at St Patrick's Primary in Corby, which has 43 pupils eligible for free meals out of 237, said the school's pupils on free school meals were exceeding the Government guidelines.
He said: "Every child at our school is treated the same, whether they have free school meals or not.
"They all need the best education we can provide.
"In fact, the free school meals pupils are performing above and beyond what is expected of them."
Parent Jonny Coxell, of Lewis Road, Kettering, said: "I think it is more down to their family situation than money.
"If they are encouraged by their parents to do well and given support, kids will want to do well, whether they come from a poor background or a rich one.
"And just because you don't do well at school, it doesn't automatically make you a failure – lots of people go on to be successful and happy after struggling at school."
The statistics come just months after Northamptonshire County Council said it was drawing up plans to close the gap between the most gifted pupils and those struggling to achieve at school, admitting that the council needed to become more like a pushy-parent when it came to looking after students.
A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: "It is widely known there is a direct correlation between educational under-achievement and social deprivation. This presents specific challenges for local authorities and for schools themselves."
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Weather for Kettering
Thursday 09 February 2012
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