ATTAINMENT?

A review of the recent literature Key findings from the studies reviewed: • There are only a few research studies on English data sophisticated enough to provide robust estimates of the impact of school spending on attainment. Although they do not specifically look at how the effect changes over time, the weight of evidence from these studies suggests that additional school resources positively influence attainment, although the effects are relatively modest at all Key Stages. • The magnitude of the estimated effect varies significantly between studies, usually explained by the different methodologies that they employ. Overall, spending an extra £1,000 per pupil,1 can over time boost pupils ’ attainment at GCSE, but only by a fraction of a grade. At Key Stage 2 estimated effects range from a few weeks of progress to up to a term’s worth (in the most robust study). • The majority of the evidence supports the idea that additional spending has a slightly greater impact on the attainment of FSM pupils than spending on other pupils. • PISA evidence also supports the conclusion that spending can play an important role in educational achievement, although other factors explain the majority of the variation in PISA scores between countries. • However, significant evidence gaps remain. Some could be filled by further research and the £136m provided to the Education Endowment Foundation over the next 10-15 years, to promote robust policy evaluation through random assignment methods, will help to fill these gaps