We need to stop tinkering around the edges of our education system

'Educational inequalities cannot be solved by the education system alone.’ The concluding words of the latest IFS Deaton Review report into inequalities in education came as absolutely no surprise to us here at CPAG, and no doubt to those working on the frontline within our education system either. Despite decades of initiatives, strategies and hard work being undertaken by schools, the disadvantage gap has been stubbornly persistent over the past 20 years. It’s yet more evidence that the work of our schools is being held back by the levels of poverty children are facing.

We’ve heard from thousands of families and children through the UK Cost of the School Day project about the ways in which poverty stops them from being able to make the most of their time at school. Not having the resources to take part in lessons, exams and homework; missing out on curriculum enrichment experiences such as trips and clubs; and being hungry because their free school meal allowance means that they can only purchase limited options at lunchtimes, which makes them stand out from their peers. Children growing up in poverty are missing out on all that our education system has to offer because of hidden costs and barriers.

Of course, schools can and do take steps to mitigate these barriers. Some have provided free revision guides, calculators and stationery bundles. Others have used their Pupil Premium funding or PTA fundraising to subsidise the cost of trips. Many are now establishing free breakfast clubs. They are doing all of this with increasingly stretched school budgets. Yet, these initiatives alone won’t end the attainment gap. If we’re serious about ensuring that children from lower-income households are able to reach the same levels of attainment as their peers, we’ve got to see action to address the root cause of these inequalities – child poverty.

The Deaton Review has provided another stark piece of evidence that the solution to educational inequalities lies outside of the school gates. Making sure all families have enough money is the best way to support pupils to achieve at school. With a challenging winter ahead, the government must combine taking urgent action to get cash to the poorest households with a longer-term plan to ensure that the social security system adequately supports families. They must also look to reduce costs for families by reviewing the eligibility criteria for free school meals so that more families can benefit from this support.

We need to stop tinkering around the edges of our education system with small-scale initiatives, and get serious about the attainment gap by acknowledging and addressing why it exists. Living in poverty, by its nature, makes it harder to do well at school. Fixating on changes in schools to solve this will always come up short. Real change will come when we release children from the grip of poverty. We’ve got to get the fundamentals right and end child poverty so that our school system and our young people can flourish.