Education has long been one of this country’s greatest sources of hope and opportunity. At its best, it changes lives, strengthens communities and opens doors that might otherwise remain closed.

We have both spent much of our lives working in and around education because we believe deeply in its transformational power. We have seen the impact that succeeding in education can have on the lives of young people: it broadens their choice of pathways, boosts their confidence, and inspires optimism. It fosters interests, passions and a love of learning that can stay with them throughout their lives.

But despite the undoubted improvements in our education system, we can both recall too many young people for whom success was elusive. Their outcomes were disappointing despite the keen interest and dedicated effort of their teachers who trialled approaches designed to raise attainment.

Indeed, the past thirty years have seen a myriad of initiatives targeted on ‘closing the gap’, and whilst some have yielded improvements, none has significantly and sustainably boosted the performance of white working class children.

Doing more of the same is unlikely to solve the problem.

What has been missing is sustained, coordinated action at sufficient scale to change outcomes. The real test of this Inquiry will not be whether experts think it is interesting, or if it garners a few big headlines, but whether it helps catalyse the collective action needed to improve the life chances of our most disadvantaged young people.

Data shows starkly that a key characteristic of the attainment gap is social class; the family a child is born into is still the greatest predictor of their success. The Inquiry was set up to look more closely at this issue and to contribute to the debate about what we need to do differently to redress inequality.

Our Inquiry team has carried out research which gives us a rich picture of what is happening. Most importantly, they have talked with children, parents, teachers and the wider community to gain a better understanding of what lies beneath the statistics.

We heard repeatedly a feeling that education isn’t working for them in the way it should. We heard from young people who feel disengaged from school and from parents who no longer trust the long-established assertion that education will lead to stability, opportunity or a better life for their children. We heard from teachers and leaders working tirelessly in very difficult circumstances, often carrying exacting responsibilities that far exceed those we can reasonably expect to be carried out by schools alone.

“

This report is not intended to be a counsel of despair, but rather a call to action.

Most importantly, we heard a profound sense that too many white working class children and young people feel that educational success is something that happens for other people, rather than for them.

The evidence gathered through this Inquiry shows that white working class educational underachievement is neither a new issue nor a simple one. It cannot be explained away by low aspiration or lack of effort. Nor can it be solved by schools alone. The challenges described throughout this report are deeply rooted in long-term economic change, place-based inequality and weakening trust in institutions. Furthermore, there is often a misalignment between the education system and the communities it services.

The task is therefore twofold: education must become relevant, trusted and responsive to communities, and communities must be supported to engage with the opportunities education can provide.

This Inquiry also found that the underachievement of white working class children is not inevitable. Across the country, a number of schools, colleges and communities are turning the tide. We met teachers and leaders creating cultures of high expectation, belonging and care. We saw young people thriving when education felt relevant and connected to their lives and futures. We heard repeatedly that when children feel recognised, supported and believed in, they succeed.

All this matters because this report is not intended to be a counsel of despair, but rather a call to action.

“

We were struck by the pride, humour, resilience and strong sense of solidarity within many white working class communities.

Throughout this Inquiry, we were struck by the pride, humour, resilience and strong sense of solidarity within many white working class communities. Parents want better lives for their children and place a high value on success. The problem is not a lack of aspiration, but a combination of structural barriers, opportunity gaps, trust, confidence and differing experiences of the education system.

Too often, conversations about socioeconomic inequality focus only on deficit and decline. But the task ahead is not to diminish the communities who contributed to this Inquiry or their identity; it is to build an education system that better recognises, values and builds upon the strengths already within them.

Improving outcomes for white working class children and young people will require sustained national effort over many years. It needs us to face up to the scale of the challenge and to believe that change is possible. Responsibility cannot sit with schools alone. Government, employers, colleges, universities, trusts, community organisations, families and wider society all have a role to play. We hope this report will provide a strong foundation and shared purpose for the joint work ahead to rebuild confidence that education remains a meaningful route to dignity, opportunity and a good life.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who spoke with the Inquiry team, particularly the children, families, teachers and communities who shared their experiences so openly and honestly and made such a valuable contribution to our evidence base.

The challenge set out in this report is significant. But so too is the opportunity. Every child in this country deserves to feel that education is for them, that their future matters, and that success is achievable regardless of where they come from. That is the unfaltering ambition which underpins this Inquiry and the recommendations that follow.