Inquiry Finds England's Schools Fail White Working-Class Pupils on GCSEs

An independent inquiry concluded that England's education system is not set up to serve white working-class children and families. @Independent reported that the Independent Inquiry into White Working-Class Educational Outcomes found such pupils are the lowest-performing large demographic in the school system and called for once-in-a-generation reforms.

The inquiry was commissioned last summer by the multi-academy trust Star Academies and is supported by the Department for Education.

Co-chairs Baroness Estelle Morris and Sir Hamid Patel led the work, which included interviews with thousands of young people, their parents and hundreds of teachers. It also analyzed education data on 1.25 million white British young people in England who receive free school meals.

As of 2025, 36 per cent of white British pupils on free school meals achieved a Grade 4 or above in English and Maths GCSE, compared with 72 per cent of non-free school meal pupils, the inquiry found.

It described the disparity as the white working-class disadvantage gap. The report noted that white working-class communities and the education system hold different views on the purpose of education, with many families prioritizing the social experience of school and vocational routes such as apprenticeships.

The inquiry issued 24 recommendations, including more early-years support, improved mental health services, restrictions on smartphone use in schools, extension of 30 hours of free childcare to all disadvantaged families and a major expansion of apprenticeship opportunities in white working-class communities.