Narrowing the Attainment Gap: A Handbook for Schools, Paperback

The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is one of the most insidious social injustices in the developed world. It is a significant factor in the growing inequality of our societies and persists across time and nations. For this reason, narrowing the gap is a top priority for governments and policymakers, and an issue that all schools must tackle.

Written by a leading expert in the field of inclusion, Narrowing the Attainment Gap is designed to support school leaders in understanding and reducing the attainment gap in the context of their setting. Drawing on research and his own extensive experience in leading a team that has worked with over 1,000 schools, Daniel Sobel examines the real issues behind the attainment gap and the barriers schools face when trying to narrow it.

The book provides a unique approach with hands-on, practical guidance to enable every school leader to develop their own bespoke solutions to meet the needs of their community. Case studies and examples illustrate how these interventions can be put into practice and the impact they can have, while template resources help schools demonstrate to stakeholders the change they are driving at an individual, cohort and whole-school level.

Daniel Sobel MA Ed (Psych) FCMI FCIC FRSA is the CEO and founder of Inclusion Expert, a leading educational consultancy offering training and resources to professionals working in inclusion. With a background in educational psychology and psychotherapy, and as a former assistant headteacher, he has experience from a broad spectrum of in-school and consultancy work. He has consulted with the Department for Education, the European Union and various international governments, the Institute of Education and the Cass School of Education at the University of East London. In 2012, Daniel was highly commended at the Educational Business Awards for his outstanding insights and strategic thinking in education and Inclusion Expert won a Grand Prix at the Education Investor Awards in 2015.

Daniel is the author of The Pupil Premium Handbook and is a featured columnist for The Guardian. He has also written for the Times Educational Supplement and is a regular contributor to the education press in England, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. He regularly speaks on educational inclusion, social and behavioural issues, special educational needs, managing mental health, foster care children and impoverishment at national and international conferences.