High-performing schools in England should be encouraged to admit more disadvantaged white working-class pupils to address a crisis in underachievement, an independent inquiry has found. The report, commissioned by Star Academies and backed by the Department for Education, concluded that the education system is 'not set up to serve white working-class children and families'.
The inquiry, co-chaired by former Labour education secretary Estelle Morris and Star Academies chief executive Hamid Patel, described the current situation as requiring 'once-in-a-generation changes'. It highlighted that white working-class pupils are the lowest-performing large demographic, with only 36% achieving grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSE in 2025, compared to 72% of all pupils not on free school meals.
Recommendations include a clearer definition of 'white working-class' in education, extending 30 hours of free childcare to more disadvantaged families, and improving school-family relationships. The report also calls for high-performing schools to prioritise disadvantaged pupils within existing admissions rules and to engage earlier with families to help navigate the process.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson welcomed the report, stating: 'White working-class children have never lacked talent. But they've been written off.' She emphasised the government's focus on school attendance and early years education, noting that children often arrive at school not ready to learn.
However, the Sutton Trust cautioned against setting disadvantaged groups against each other, pointing out that Black Caribbean pupils face similar barriers. Chief executive Nick Harrison said: 'Ultimately, this isn’t about ethnicity in isolation. It’s about the interaction between disadvantage and place, entrenched poverty, and too few routes to good jobs.'
