Ethnic, gender and socio-economic gaps in achievement: The perils of ‘main effects'

Perhaps the most prevailing inequalities in educational achievement in England are those associated with socio-economic status (SES), ethnicity and gender. However relatively little research has sought to compare the relative size of these gaps or to explore interactions between these factors. This paper analyses the 2008 national test results of approximately 2,400 11 year olds from an ethnically diverse inner London borough. The results indicate that ethnicity, gender and SES do not combine in a simple additive fashion, rather there are substantial interactions particularly between ethnic group and SES. The groups with the lowest educational achievement and poorest progress were both White British and Black Caribbean low SES boys. The implications for accounts of equity gaps in achievement are discussed.