The Inquiry’s ambition is straightforward: an education system in which every child feels that they belong, that their talents and dreams are recognised, and that success is achievable for people like them. A system in which young people leave education with confidence, purpose and a clear route into a happy, productive adulthood.
The Inquiry believes that the current experience of too many white working class children and young people is neither inevitable nor acceptable.
Across the research, we heard compelling evidence of children and young people who feel profoundly disconnected from education and uncertain about their future; families who no longer trust that education will lead to opportunity; and communities where confidence in institutions, including schools, has weakened over generations. Educational gaps, for white working class pupils, emerge early, widen over time, and are reinforced again and again at key transition points throughout childhood and adolescence.
However, the Inquiry also found strong evidence that outcomes are not fixed. There are schools and colleges – few, but glimmers of hope nonetheless – that achieve good outcomes for white working class young people. These institutions often deploy highly relational approaches built around high expectations, overcoming of barriers, provision of enriching experiences, and focus on relationships with families.
The Inquiry therefore rejects the idea that underachievement amongst white working class pupils is inevitable.
England has improved educational outcomes for historically underperforming groups before – including for pupils with English as an additional language and pupils in London – often through sustained focus, long-term investment, and collective effort across schools, families, communities and government. We believe the same level of ambition must now be applied to improving outcomes for white working class children and young people.
This is not simply about raising attainment, although that matters deeply. It is about rebuilding confidence that education can provide meaningful routes into adulthood, work, stability and a good life. It is about ensuring that all young people, regardless of background, skin colour, accent or postcode, feel that success is possible for people like them.
The Inquiry’s vision is therefore for an education system in which all children develop strong knowledge and qualifications, but also confidence, belonging, resilience and purpose. It is a vision of schools that are ambitious, relational and deeply connected to the communities they serve; of vocational and technical pathways that are high-quality, high-status and clearly linked to future opportunity; and of enrichment, sport, arts, culture and wider developmental experiences that are treated not as optional extras, but as central to helping children flourish.
Improving white working class educational outcomes will require more than school reform alone. It will require a long-term national effort involving schools, families, employers, further and higher education institutions, community organisations, funders, civic institutions and government itself. It will require rebuilding trust between schools and families, and restoring wider community infrastructure. It will also require investment in local economies and sustained action to create high-quality jobs, to ensure that children and young people can see visible and credible opportunities within the places they call home.
It is about ensuring that all young people, regardless of background, skin colour, accent or postcode, feel that success is possible for people like them.
This is a generational challenge, but it is also a significant national opportunity. No country can thrive while large numbers of young people feel disconnected from opportunity, uncertain about their future, or unheard within the institutions designed to support them. A stronger education system for white working class children and young people would not only transform individual lives, but strengthen communities, improve social cohesion, support economic growth and renew confidence in the future of the country itself.
These recommendations are designed to address the specific barriers facing white working class communities, but they are also likely to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils more generally. There is an opportunity for this vision to be a key part of the evolution of the wider system in the years to come, driving improved outcomes in white working class communities and for all under-performing groups, wherever they live.
Ultimately, the Inquiry’s ambition is straightforward: an education system in which every child feels that they belong, that their talents and dreams are recognised, and that success is achievable for people like them. A system in which young people leave education with confidence, purpose and a clear route into a happy, productive adulthood.
The Inquiry believes that this ambition is achievable.
How we will achieve this