Sutton Trust · 2023
This report examines the educational trajectories of socio-economically disadvantaged young people who were high attainers at the end of primary school, comparing their progress to equally high-attaining but more affluent peers. It finds that disadvantaged high attainers have GCSE grades on average more than three-quarters of a grade lower per subject than other high attainers, and are almost twice as likely to fall out of the top third of attainment by Key Stage 4. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, with disadvantaged high attainers more likely to lack suitable devices and study spaces during lockdowns, and more likely to feel they had fallen behind. The report calls for a national strategy to close attainment gaps, extended Pupil Premium funding to post-16 learners, and improved use of contextual admissions by universities.