Visualising the writing gap
What does disadvantage in writing look like?
In a previous post we presented the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils in writing in year 6. In this post we consider what the gap looks like in terms of the actual writing of pupils.
Using a sample of 4,630 pupils who have taken writing assessments every year since year 1 we can see that the gap has remained relatively unchanged. We have classified all pupils by their Year 1 pupil premium status to ensure that our definition of disadvantage is stable.
The figures show a small fall in the disadvantage index for our sample, a narrowing from a rank percentile difference of 14% (scaled to 2.66) to 10% (scaled to 2.19). For more on the scaling see here.
Year 1
In year 1, the average % rank of a piece of writing by a pupil without pupil premium status was 57, compared to 43 for a pupil with pupil premium status. When asked to describe a scene with ants carrying objects, here are two typical responses at those percentiles.
At the 57th percentile we see a basic conception of a sentence, with a subject, verb, object and full stop. Most of the words are recognisable, and the piece as a whole makes sense. At the 43rd percentile the there is no concept of a sentence, no real barriers between words, and only an occasional word that is comprehensible.
Year 5
In year 5, the average % rank of a piece of writing by a pupil without pupil premium status was 55, compared to 45 for a pupil with pupil premium status. When asked to describe a desert scene with platforms set out as a puzzle, here are two typical responses at those percentiles.
At the 55th percentile we see a reasonable grasp of syntax, and a story with some impetus and verve. At the 45th percentile the syntax is harder to follow although there are some good descriptive touches.
While the writing disadvantage gap may be lower than for reading and maths, it is still clear and obvious in the writing of pupils.
This is very interesting. But as an American I'm unfamiliar with the concept of "pupil premium status". Intuitively, I would guess that would mean students who are doing well, but reading your post it seems to me that these are actually students who need more help. It would be useful if you could explain what "pupil premium status" really means.
I really like these posts, because they indicate what's actually going on in the real world, rather than what's supposed to happen. Keep them coming!