ENGLAND — An independent inquiry concluded that England's education system is "not set up to serve white working-class children and families." The inquiry determined that once-in-a-generation changes were needed to tackle why white working-class children were the lowest-performing large demographic in England's school system.

The Independent Inquiry into White Working-Class Educational Outcomes, commissioned by Star Academies and backed by the Department for Education, released its findings. In 2025, 36% of white students in England who received free school meals got a grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs. This contrasts with an average of 72% of all pupils in England who did not receive free school meals achieving the same grades. White working-class children were about half as likely as their less disadvantaged peers to get GCSEs in maths and English.

The inquiry said the poorer performance by white working-class pupils could not be "solved by schools alone." The report also said the issues identified could not be "explained away by low aspiration or lack of effort." Estelle Morris, a former Labour education secretary, co-chaired the inquiry with Hamid Patel, the chief executive of Star Academies. The report was based on interviews with thousands of young people and their parents, as well as hundreds of teachers.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson hailed the report as "a really important piece of work." She said white working-class children needed help in school and beyond. Phillipson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that one issue was school attendance. She added, "The report is also clear, and the evidence is also clear, that children arrive at school not ready to learn, having not achieved the levels that they should." She continued, "They're already behind, they stay behind, and they don't catch up in the way that they should during their time at school, which is why I've expanded early years education in such a big way."

Phillipson said the solutions involved not just schools, but "beyond the school gate, because so much of what a child is able to achieve in their life comes down to the support their family have." She told Times Radio: "Class is a huge driver of outcomes, never mind in our politics, but right across society."

The report recommended an increased focus on reading for white working-class children at primary schools and an expansion in apprenticeships. It called for free local public transport for young people aged up to 21 to reach education, training and work. Other recommendations included expanding the government's offer of 30 hours of free childcare to all disadvantaged families, improving mental health support, increasing early-years support, and restricting smartphone use in schools.