What does ‘dis’advantage mean?

Early education and care should be dedicated to giving every child the best high-quality start to life, building the first blocks in healthy development, a love of learning and cultivating happy relationships throughout their experiences. However, some children and their families can be put at a ‘dis’advantage when faced with barriers to access high-quality early education and care provision. These barriers can contribute to a widening attainment gap, which is the difference in educational outcomes between children from more and less affluent backgrounds.

As this gap continues to widen, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the roles that educational inequality and children’s backgrounds play in their experiences and outcomes, from early education and care, through to higher education and future employment opportunities.

What do we mean by ‘dis’advantage?

We know that as individuals we can be regarded as being at a disadvantage compared to others for a variety of reasons, depending on individual characteristics, circumstances and skills. Whether these put us at a disadvantage or advantage can vary according to particular context. A very simplistic view could be to consider, a person who is taller than average in height. There are times when they may be at an advantage to someone not as tall, for example when it comes to reaching something from a high shelf. However, when it comes to walking through a low doorway, they might find themselves at a disadvantage.

In early education and care we recognise that the term disadvantage is difficult to define owing to its subjective nature along with individual perceptions. For statistical purposes, the most widely used indicator for disadvantage are socio-economic status and income levels, which is why research that explores the wider impact of educational inequality is often defined by eligibility for Early Years Pupil Premium or, later on, Pupil Premium.

For many of us, framing disadvantage in this way may be questionable. Whilst considering disadvantage in a quantifiable way informs large-scale or longitudinal research, it is important to acknowledge the individual circumstances and lived experiences of every child and family, who sit behind the statistics. Whilst correlations present themselves amongst educational outcomes, factors such as additional learning and health needs or the subjective nature of individual family perception, should be paramount to how we consider the influence of such data.  

For example, a child with a disability might be considered to be at disadvantage due to the evidence reporting that children with additional educational needs face an attainment gap twice as wide as their counterparts eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). Whilst these needs will require appropriate levels of support, the disability itself and how the child and family manage it, can be considered a strength and positive attribute. It is therefore vital that we build strong relationships with and get to know our families so that we can offer appropriate levels of support in the most effective and sensitive manner.

When we think about how disadvantage influences our practice in early education and care, it can be easy to regard attainment at GCSE level or career prospects as being too far into the future and irrelevant to our current work. However, research shows that the attainment gap opens up before children start school and the influence of early education and care is the very first stoke in the fire to burning down these barriers, ensuring access for all to high-quality provision.

Throughout our member resources, we highlight the value of clear and effective communication with parents and carers, supporting them to establish a strong home learning environment that supports all children to thrive in their early years. Which is why, in our webinar Exploring the education gap in early education and care, we endeavour to explore some of the ways in which to support those children who are considered to be at a disadvantage when accessing educational opportunities.

There are many ways in which we can support children who are considered to have additional barriers to accessing quality early education and care – why not join our webinar to learn more? And don’t forget, if you are a member and cannot attend live, you can watch the recording at a time that suits you after the event.