An independent inquiry into the educational outcomes of white working-class children in England has called for high-performing schools to be encouraged to admit more disadvantaged pupils from these backgrounds. The report, commissioned by Star Academies and backed by the Department for Education, concluded that the current system is “not set up to serve white working-class children and families”.
The inquiry found that white working-class pupils are the lowest-performing large demographic in England’s schools. In 2025, only 36% of white students receiving free school meals achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSE, compared with 72% of all pupils not on free meals. The report said “once-in-a-generation” changes are needed to reverse this trend.
Recommendations include extending 30 hours of free childcare to disadvantaged families currently ineligible, improving school-family relationships, and requiring high-performing schools to prioritise disadvantaged pupils within existing admissions rules. The report also urged earlier engagement with white working-class communities to help families navigate the admissions process.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson welcomed the report, saying: “White working-class children have never lacked talent. But they’ve been written off as generation after generation have been robbed of opportunity.” She emphasised that solutions extend beyond schools, noting the importance of early years education and family support.
However, the Sutton Trust warned against pitting 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, communities that have been left behind.”
