Parliament and Policy: April and June 2015

The Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb MP, cited the Sutton Trust Missing Talent report as he set out the government’s plans to reinforce the importance of a core academic curriculum for all pupils in a speech on 11 June.

Nick Gibb said: “Overall, disadvantaged pupils remain half as likely to be entered for the EBacc as their non-disadvantaged peers. 23% of pupils eligible for the pupil premium were entered for the EBacc, compared with 45% of all other pupils. This gap persists even among the most able pupils. Just last week, the Sutton Trust published analysis which looked at the GCSE performance of pupils who had previously scored in the top 10% nationally at the end of primary school. They found that, even within this group, pupils who had received free school meals were significantly less likely to be taking history, geography, a language, or triple science at GCSE than their peers. These children, who showed such early promise, have been let down by our failure to offer every pupil the chance to benefit from a core academic curriculum.”

Read the full speech here.

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On 3rd June 2015, Baroness Morris of Yardley mentioned Sutton Trust research on Academy Chains in a debate following the Queen’s Speech.

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The Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb MP, mentioned Sutton Trust research on improving teacher quality in a debate on

“In September 2011, the Sutton Trust found that the difference between a very effective teacher and a poorly performing teacher is large. For example, during one year with a very effective maths teacher, pupils gain 40% more in their educational attainment than they would with a poorly performing maths teacher.”

The full debate can be found here.

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Louise Haigh MP mentioned the Sutton Trust report, Chain Effects, in her maiden speech to Parliament on 22nd June.

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Wes Streeting MP and Tristram Hunt MP also mentioned Chain Effects in the debate on the Education and Adoption Bill on 22nd June.

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Chain Effects has also been mentioned in the Public Bill Committee stage of the Education and Adoption Bill’s passage through Parliament, by Councillor Richard Watts (Children and Young People’s Board, Local Government Association) and Dr Lee Elliot Major (Chief Executive, Sutton Trust).