Barriers to progress in secondary school

The Social Mobility Commission (www.gov.uk/smcpc) is inviting proposals for research into barriers to progress in secondary school, focusing predominantly on the poorest children. The recent schools White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere explicitly cites the Government’s focus on ensuring that all children fulfil their potential.

While this focus is welcomed by the Social Mobility Commission, the evidence suggests that the poorest children in particular are going off track in their school years, wasting rather than fulfilling their potential. The Commission is particularly concerned about the evidence that secondary school is a risky period for the poorest children dropping off their attainment trajectory.

Here we are commissioning a focused study which seeks to take a broad look at the progress problem in England’s secondary schools, building on previous studies and seeking to understand more about the details and the drivers. This report should focus on progress for high, middle and low attainers throughout their time in secondary school and the interaction with social background.

This research will be commissioned via a single procurement phase, for which succinct proposals are invited. Assessment of tenders will be on the basis of the criteria at the end of this document.

The contract between the Commission and the successful bidder will run from the date of issue until no later than 30 September at noon. Research will be published on the Commission’s website and should be drafted with Social Mobility Commission branding and format.

The research should combine quantitative analysis (analysis of the National Pupil Database) with qualitative (literature and engagement with schools), so may lend itself to a collaboration between providers, and should explore two areas: • What does the data tell us about the progress problem in secondary school? Which children are most affected? Which types of schools, areas of the country, types and profiles of areas, gender and ability groups are most starkly affected? • What are the causes of stalling progress in secondary school, particularly amongst poorer children?