An independent report has recommended that top state schools should be encouraged to admit more disadvantaged pupils to improve their life chances. The Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes, published on June 29, 2026, suggests that more 'deliberate action' is necessary to ensure deprived children gain access to the best-performing schools.
The report, co-led by former education secretary Baroness Morris of Yardley, observed that high-performing schools often have student intakes that are 'significantly less disadvantaged than the communities around them.' It advocates for stronger expectations for headteachers to 'contribute to inclusion' and clearer guidance to help them 'prioritise disadvantaged pupils.'
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson welcomed the report, stating her desire for 'fair admissions policies and practices,' though she indicated that such actions by schools would not be mandated. Phillipson highlighted that white working-class children are among the lowest academic achievers in the school system, and that the inequality leading to these gaps often begins before children even start school.
This proposal echoes a similar suggestion in the Government's white paper, released in February, which proposed that schools could be 'encouraged' to adopt more 'inclusive admission arrangements.' The current rules, implemented by the Conservative party in 2014, already permit schools to prioritize poorer children in admissions.
The wide-ranging report also presented data indicating that only half of white working-class five-year-olds were meeting the expected standard of development, compared to three-quarters of middle-class children. By the age of 16, just one-third of white working-class pupils achieved at least a pass in English and maths GCSEs, marking them as the weakest performing ethnic group academically in England. The report contended that tackling this underachievement requires structural change.
Among its recommendations, the inquiry called for free transport for under-21s, measures to curb screen use, and an increase in the number of white working-class teachers. The inquiry panel included figures such as Sir Kevan Collins, an advisor to the government post-pandemic, and former education secretary Baroness Morgan of Cotes. It was commissioned by Star Academies and co-chaired by its chief executive, Sir Hamid Patel, alongside Baroness Morris.
Speaking at the report's launch event, Phillipson was expected to state that the focus on lifting a 'lucky few' from poverty has been used to justify neglecting entire communities. She planned to say that 'the distant dream of social mobility has failed a whole new generation' and that 'the presence of opportunity for the few can never justify the absence of opportunity for the many. Social justice is what we need.'