Disadvantaged White Pupils Show Poorest UK Educational Outcomes

Recent studies and reports highlight a persistent and troubling educational underperformance among disadvantaged white working-class children in the UK, particularly at primary and secondary school stages. The Institute for Government (IfG) found that disadvantaged pupils perform better in schools where they constitute a higher proportion of the cohort, but areas with many poor white children tend to have the worst outcomes, with only 18.6% achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs compared to 45.9% of all state pupils. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson condemned this disparity as a "national disgrace," warning that too many white working-class children risk being "written off" by society due to poor academic results. The gap has widened since the Covid-19 pandemic, which exacerbated inequalities as disadvantaged children often lacked access to necessary resources like laptops and quiet study spaces. Regional disparities persist, with the north east and north west showing particularly poor progress, and London schools performing significantly better at Key Stage 2. Experts suggest that schools with more disadvantaged pupils develop better support systems, and recommend that networks be created to share effective practices with schools serving fewer disadvantaged children to help close these gaps.