Sutton Trust research is mentioned in the Scotsman in a story about a new focus by Labour on closing the gap through early years education.

Failing schools should be targeted for direct intervention to tackle the yawning gap between rich and poor in Scotland’s classrooms, a new Labour report said.

Extra cash and top teachers should be diverted into schools, alongside a national strategy to raise standards among poorer children, it added.

New family centres should also be established in poorer areas around Scotland to help parents and let them become more involved in their children’s schooling, said Labour.

……

Bright boys from poor backgrounds are nearly three years behind well-off, clever male classmates in reading alone, a report by the Sutton Trust found last year. And as teacher numbers fall and class sizes increase, 
Labour said action must be taken to reverse the slide.

The report, Mind the Gap – Tackling Educational Inequality in Scotland, said it is time to “take risks and try new things”. Councils should be forced to set out action being taken to raise achievement levels, while plans to identify and help struggling pupils should be at the heart of the schools inspection process, the report said.

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