Jessie Abrahams' new book reveals the extent of class inequality in schools in the UK.

By telling Jessie's story and that of one of the young people in her research, this episode untangles the role aspiration plays for young people in school and the significance of the different choices that are available to different pupils in different schools.

Jessie puts forward ideas for changes that we can make, despite the limitations of what is a fundamentally unequal system.

Jessie Abrahams is Lecturer in Education and Social Justice in the School of Education at the University of Bristol. Follow her on Twitter: @AbrahamsJJ.

The full transcript of the podcast is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2024/03/20/podcast-class-inequality-and-denied-ambition-in-our-schools/

Resources:

Find out more about the book: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/schooling-inequality

Read Jake's story for free: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/asset/12446/jacks-story-schooling-inequality-abrahams.pdf

Learn more about the Paired Peers project: https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/projects/paired-peers

Explore the Russel Group’s Informed Choices: https://www.informedchoices.ac.uk/

Discover the facilitating subjects: https://successatschool.org/advice/subjects/what-are-facilitating-subjects/204

Timestamps:

01:58 – Jessie’s story and how she came to write the book

05:37 – It’s about resources given to schools, not individual teachers

08:24 – Jake’s story

22:04 – Aspiration and the surprising difference between working and middle-class children

30:39 – Blocking and the GSCE/A Level options available at different schools

40:19 – The missed chance to level the playing field during COVID

45:12 – Where can change be made?

Intro music:

Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax

Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com

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