An independent report published today calls for top state schools to admit a greater proportion of disadvantaged pupils to improve their life chances. The "Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes" found that "deliberate action" is necessary to draw deprived children into the best-performing educational institutions.
The report advocates for stronger expectations for headteachers to "contribute to inclusion" and for clearer guidance to help them "prioritize disadvantaged pupils." It highlights that, "too often," leading schools have student bodies that are "significantly less disadvantaged than the communities around them."
This aligns with a proposal in the Government's white paper, released in February, which suggested schools could be "encouraged" to adopt more "inclusive admission arrangements." Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson welcomed the report, reiterating a desire for "fair admissions policies and practices," though she stated that actions by schools would not be "mandated."
Phillipson noted that "white working class children are amongst the lowest achievers in academic terms in our school system." She emphasized that addressing this inequality requires a comprehensive approach, both within and beyond the school gates, as "inequality starts very early," with gaps often opening before children even start school.
The white paper previously suggested that access to high-performing local schools should not be determined by "local house prices." Prioritizing poorer children in school admissions is permissible under existing rules established by the Conservative party in 2014.
Data cited in the report indicates that only half of five-year-old white working-class children are meeting the expected standard of development, compared to three-quarters of their middle-class peers. By age 16, just one-third achieve at least a pass in English and maths GCSEs. The report identifies white working-class pupils as having the weakest educational results among major ethnic groups in England and calls for structural change to address years of underachievement.
Recommendations from the inquiry include free transport for under-21s, measures to reduce screen time, and increasing the number of white working-class teachers. The inquiry's panel included notable figures such as Sir Kevan Collins, who advised the government post-pandemic, and former education secretary Baroness Morgan of Cotes. The inquiry was commissioned by Star Academies and co-chaired by its chief executive, Sir Hamid Patel, and Baroness Morris of Yardley.
Phillipson is expected to state that focusing on the "lucky few" who escape poverty has been used to justify neglecting entire communities, and that the "distant dream of social mobility has failed a whole new generation." She will argue that the "presence of opportunity for the few can never justify the absence of opportunity for the many" and that "social justice is what we need." The inquiry gathered evidence through written submissions, focus groups, large-scale polling of white working-class communities, round tables with educators, and analysis of national data. It found that while many parents do not explicitly link schooling to future success, the issue cannot solely be attributed to a lack of aspiration.