STARTER Work on your own to answer the short mark exam questions on the worksheet. You have 10 minutes.

A NSWERS : P EER ASSESSMENT From Item D, what is the overall trend between 1970 and 2005 in children under 5 attending schools? (1 mark) Increasing 5 Mins

From Item E, what percentage of children who receive free school meals obtained 5 or more A* – C grades at GCSE? (1 mark)

Item F Education has a role in teaching norms and values of British culture. The recent introduction of Citizenship as a subject in schools may help individuals to identify themselves as part of that wider culture. This is sometimes called developing a sense of ‘Britishness’. From Item F, which subject was recently introduced in schools? (1 mark)

Explain what sociologists mean by the hidden curriculum. (4 marks) The hidden curriculum refers to things learnt as part of everyday life at school rather than taught in lessons such as punctuality, etc.

Describe one way in which schools attempt to encourage a sense of what it means to be British and explain how this may help to improve social cohesion. (5 marks) One way in which schools attempt to encourage a sense of being British is through its political function. This is when children learn to be good citizens through subjects such as Citizenship (PSHE) and History. This may help to improve social cohesion by making sure that everyone tolerates others and gets along with them regardless of religion, ethnicity, etc.

P ROGRESS SO FAR IN SOCIOLOGY ClassNumber3LoP%4LoP% Miss S A Brobbey20840%210% Mr T Hemming19737%211% Mr S Ahmed17212%00% ClassNumberA*-C Miss S A Brobbey2010% Mr T Hemming1911% Mr S Ahmed17 0% Students on A*-C

S OCIAL CLASS AND ACHIEVEMENT Make your predictions: Why do some children do better at school than others? What has social class background got to do with educational achievement?

D EFINITIONS Educational achievement or attainment is measured through exams and it means getting 5 or more A* – C GCSEs. Educational underachievement is measured through exams and it means not getting at least 5 A* – C GCSEs and not being able to go onto further education.

F ACT ! The lower the social class: o the less likely the student is to get 5+ A*-C GCSEs. o the less likely they are to stay on in post 16 education. o the less likely they are to attend university. Therefore, working class children do less well in education than middle class children.

1.Decide which person will be your working-class character, your middle-class character and your upper class character. 2.Attach two speech bubble to the character that you think it most likely belongs to. Challenge: Why might middle-class parents be better able to support their child’s education? 20 Mins

Extension task: Choose one of your characters and write a ‘day in the life of…’ account. For example, you might start by describing the room that your character wakes up in, what they eat for breakfast, what conversations they have with their parents before going to school, what they are thinking about on the way to school etc.

T HE N ATURE VS. N URTURE DEBATE The nature theory (biological explanation) argues that educational success or failure depend on the intelligence of each individual child. The intelligence is inherited from parents through genes. Therefore, how we perform in school is determined by the ability levels we are born with. The nurture theory (Sociological explanation) argues that educational success or failure is determined by the social environment. Therefore, factors such as social class, gender, ethnicity, peer pressure, family and teachers affect educational performance. Class vote - which view do you agree with? Hands up for nature... and now for nurture view. 5 Mins

T ASK 2 Work in pairs to fill in the gaps in the text – it is a summary of what you need to know about social class factors that affect educational achievement. 20 Mins

P EER ASSESSMENT M ATERIAL DEPRIVATION – WORKING CLASS Material deprivation means living in poverty. Working class parents may not be able to afford to buy school uniform, PE kit or specialist equipment required. Many schools have a policy whereby if a child comes to school in incorrect uniform or without equipment, they are sent home. Moreover, being poor means that some working class families find themselves living in overcrowded housing with a lack of privacy or quiet space where a child can do their homework or revision. Unhealthy living conditions such as damp and cold and a nutritionally poor diet can also affect the educational achievement of working class children as they suffer more illnesses so their school attendance is poor. Therefore, they miss out on learning and lack the necessary knowledge to pass the exam.

M ATERIAL DEPRIVATION – MIDDLE CLASS On the other hand, middle class children tend to live in better quality housing with their own room to study in. Middle class parents can afford to buy extra books and computers for their children to learn from as well as to pay for private tutors. These factors help middle class children do better in exams.

C ULTURAL DEPRIVATION – WORKING CLASS Cultural deprivation means a lack of experiences, knowledge and skills needed to succeed in education. Working class children are said to be culturally deprived as their parents can’t give them the experiences such as trips to museums or foreign holidays. Their parents may not be able to buy them extra books or PC or educational toys to help them learn.

C ULTURAL DEPRIVATION – MIDDLE CLASS Children from middle class backgrounds are not culturally deprived as they have life experiences which help them with their school work. These experiences include trips to museums and galleries with their parents, foreign holidays, etc. Through these experiences they gain a better understanding of the world which helps them understand what is being taught at school. Middle class children tend to have books, computers and educational toys to help them learn at home. Middle class have cultural capital. This means that middle class parents are well educated so can help their children with homework and coursework. Middle class parents also have the knowledge of how the education system works so they can get their children into the best schools or get them extra help from the school if the child needs it.

P ARENTAL ATTITUDES – WORKING CLASS Working class values are different to middle class values as they tend to seek immediate gratification. This means living for the moment with little thought for the future. Working class parents are less likely to be involved in their children’s education, for example, their poor attendance of parents’ evenings. However, this may be down to the fact that working class occupations require shift work so it could be that the type of employment working class parents do prevents them from being involved in their children’s education. Working class parents also tend to hold fatalistic attitudes to their situation. This means that they feel there is nothing they can do to improve their situation. As they pass this attitude to their children; they do not realise that through education they can improve their lives.

P ARENTAL ATTITUDES – MIDDLE CLASS Middle class parents place high value on personal, individual success and emphasise planning for the future. They pass these values to their children thus helping them become ambitious and motivated to do well in education. Middle class parents also teach their children to value deferred gratification. This means being prepared to make sacrifices now for future rewards. Moreover, middle class parents are said to show more interest and involvement in their children’s education. They are said to be more likely to regularly check their children’s homework and keep in touch with teachers.

S PEECH CODES – MIDDLE CLASS Language is a major reason for the difference between working and middle class children’s achievement. The elaborated code is used by the middle class. It has a wide vocabulary and consists of longer, grammatically correct sentences. Elaborated code is used by teachers, textbooks and exams. Middle class children are socialised into using the elaborated code at home and so feel comfortable using it at school.

S PEECH CODES – WORKING CLASS The restricted code is used by the working class. It is limited in vocabulary, uses short, unfinished and grammatically simple sentences. As working class children are not familiar with the elaborated code, it puts them at a disadvantage at school.

H OMEWORK For each of the factors listed, explain how they could lead to educational underachievement of working class children: Lack of correct school uniform or PE kit – Lack of quiet space at home to study – Poor diet, e.g. no breakfast before going to school – Lack of books and a PC at home – Lack of visits to museums or holidays abroad – Using the restricted code – Lack of parental visits to school, e.g. parents not attending TSD –

S TAR OF THE WEEK Merhawi for being an active member in sociology. Well done for sharing good practice and for always contributing towards class discussions. Positive phone call home will be made

The purpose of education - Sociological theories on education – Functionalism and Marxism Formal and informal education – National Curriculum and hidden curriculum Reforms of the British education system over the last 40 years and the criticisms of these educational reforms Contemporary issues relating to the education system such as faith schools, testing, special needs The alternative forms of education in Britain – home schooling, private education The factors affecting educational achievement - social class End of unit assessment – mock exam The factors affecting educational achievement – ethnicity The factors affecting educational achievement – gender The factors affecting educational achievement – school Revision Education in contemporary Britain – structure, vocational education, marketisation, L EARNING JOURNEY