Providing equitable education to children who need additional challenge. An exploration of school values and practices in England and Sweden

Abstract in English

This mixed-methods study explores education for high achieving students in England and Sweden through a lens of equity and fairness. It is based on interviews with headteachers of secondary (equivalent) schools and includes schools with different results and in different socioeconomic areas. National curricula statements that all students should get suitable support and challenge underpin the study. Underlying concepts around fairness and social justice along with notions about achievement and ability are explored. The notion of equity, understood as equal opportunities for high achievers, is defended and examined in relation to theoretical positions and practical implementations, in the English and Swedish education systems. The results show that headteachers’ understanding of the notion of equitable education includes potential high achievers. However, societal pressure on floor targets leads to this focus decreasing. Headteachers wanted to provide education equitably to all students but there was concern about the lack of societal trust and support to do so. Views on whether the participants’ own schools provide equitable education varied, but no Swedish headteacher thought so. English participants mentioned considerably more measures for high achievers (enrichment and extension options). They were sceptical about one-time assessment of students’ ‘potential’, appearing to have an awareness of the pitfalls of basing education provision on ‘ability labelling’. Swedish headteachers had different views on the viability of ability assessments and some were positive. An increased use of the Swedish term ‘särbegåvad’ (‘gifted’/’talented’) is explored, contextualised within the impact of policies relating to ‘giftedness’ in England and elsewhere. It is questionable whether attempts to ‘identify’ potential high achievers has helpfully provided more equitable or suitable education in schools. Recommendations include a pragmatic ‘small steps’ approach and focusing on ‘need for challenge’, ‘all students learning’ and ipsative assessment instead of minimum targets and labels. Value-added measurements may be useful in some contexts.