Discussion Question: How do you define your social class? Do you feel that your social class matters?

There is a relationship between parental occupation and education and children’s success or failure in school

Sociological Targets To understand that class can have an influence on school attainment. To recognise that traditional patterns of class attainment are resistant to change. To identify some of the factors that may contribute to the class patterns of attainment.

Personal targets  To think critically about social class  To undertake personal research  To write a paragraph with both AO1 and AO2 skills in evidence.

Government definitions of class (2001) S OCIAL C LASS T YPICAL EMPLOYMENT Higher Managerial occupations 1.1 Company directors, Police Inspectors, Bank Managers, Senior Civil Servants, Military Officers 1.2Doctor, Barrister, Solicitor, Clergy, Librarian, Teacher Lower Managerial2 Nurses and midwives, Journalists, Actors, Prison Officers, Police and Soldiers (below NCO) Intermediate3Clerks, Secretaries, Driving Instructors, Computer Operator Small employers4Publicans, Farmers, Play group leader, Window cleaner, Painter and Decorator Lower supervisory and craft 5Printers, Plumbers, Butchers, Bus Inspectors, TV engineers, Train drivers Semi-routine occupations 6Shop assistant, Traffic Warden, Cook, Bus drivers, Hairdressers, Postal workers Routine occupations7Waiters, road sweepers, Cleaners, Couriers, Building labourers, Refuse collectors Never worked8Long term unemployed and non-workers

Class categories (pre-2001) Typical occupations or jobs top management, surgeons, top doctors, university lecturers, chemists, teachers, executives, journalists secretaries, sales executives, officials skilled crafts people and hairdressers semi-skilled people such as bus drivers and machine operators unskilled people, labourers and cleaners Letter A B C1 C2 D E Number 1 2 3a 3b 4 5

Attainment of top GCSE grades by parental occupation

Is this a problem? There is a persistent gap in the achievement levels of working-class and middle-class pupils. There is close correlation between a child's postcode and education achievement. Although working-class achievement has improved in absolute terms, the relative difference between the social classes has remained largely unchanged. Access to private schools offers extra opportunities to wealthier children.

Discussion questions Why does the government need to tackle issues of working class underachievement?

Discussion questions What are the causes of working class underachievement?

HomeSchool Culture The culture of the working class leads to school failure The culture of schools disadvantages the working class Deprivation Working class children do not have the material possessions that they need for success Schools in working class areas are underfunded and under-resourced

Is working class culture very different from middle class culture? What social skills are required for success in school?

Summary of key points Despite the efforts of government policy for 60 years, class differences in educational attainment remain persistent Middle class children benefit more from investment in education. There are a variety of explanations for this pattern. The causes are probably multifactored

Summary of key points Despite the efforts of government policy for 60 years, class differences in educational attainment remain persistent Middle class children benefit more from investment in education. There are a variety of explanations for this pattern. The causes are probably multifactored

Assessment Outline and explain the relationship between social class and educational attainment in the UK.

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