“Post-16 education has been persistently underfunded and it is disadvantaged students who suffer the most as a result of this. It’s clear that schools and colleges need more funding and for this to be targeted in a way that makes it easier to support these students. In the past ASCL has called for the pupil premium to be reformed to include funding for disadvantaged 16 to 19 year-olds which matches that for younger pupils, and for this to be weighted towards pupils in persistent poverty.
“In time we would like to see funding increased to ensure a consistent approach across 0-19 education, that accounts for varying levels of disadvantage across different communities and is based on detailed analysis of what every young person needs to succeed. Only by putting in place adequate support at every stage can we hope to close the disadvantage gap.”