Alliance urges more effort to provide decent education for all children

Good schooling in England is still “patchy” and more must be done to ensure all children, especially those from poorer backgrounds, get a decent education, according to a report.

It suggests that while progress has been made in improving standards, this has been uneven, with some youngsters still missing out because of where they live or the family they come from.

The state-of-the nation report card, published by the Fair Education Alliance (FEA) – a group of education organisations – says more action is needed, such as an overhaul of careers guidance and more work by schools to promote student well-being.

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Lee Elliot Major, chief executive of the Sutton Trust charity, said: “We welcome the report from the alliance. It highlights the real challenges that remain in narrowing the attainment gap in schools and the access gap at university, despite some improvements.

“It is particularly worrying that the access gap to our best universities is widening, and this highlights just how important it is that teachers ensure that their less advantaged but highly able students get the support and advice they need to fulfil their potential. The pupil premium has a big role to play here alongside a national programme for highly able students.”

Read the full PA report at the BT.com news site here