`There is a little bit more than just delivering the stuff': Policy,pedagogy and the education of Gypsy/Traveller children

Abstract

Concerns over the underachievement of Gypsy/Traveller children in the UK educational system, and a commitment to improve provision for these children, are something that has been acknowledged across a series of government reports and other documents over the last forty years. Yet despite this commitment, and the rhetoric around equality of opportunity and inclusion in which `Every Child Matters', children from Gypsy/Traveller communities continue to experience discrimination and remain the worst achieving minority group in the UK schooling system. This article argues that with the official National Curriculum of most schools often failing to recognize the particular cultures of Gypsy/Traveller children, there does seem to be a mismatch between policy and practice wherein some children matter more than others. With a school system based on attendance and high standards, defined in certain kinds of ways which lead to achievement in league tables, thus securing the roll base and demand for that school, school provision becomes organized around certain kinds of needs rather than the needs of all. Despite improvements in the educational participation and successes of Gypsy/Traveller children in some schools, the article argues that there is still a long way to go. In order to investigate how policy is being `played out' in schools and the extent to which practice may be denying equality of opportunity for all children, this article draws on interview material with primary teachers and education support staff in East London, and an ethnographic study in a school with a significant proportion of Gypsy/Traveller children on roll. Finally, the article suggests ways in which these investigations may be used in policy terms, in order to meet the needs of and include children from these communities so that they are able to meet their full potential and enjoy their right to an education.