Left Behind Again? Understanding the Gap in White Working-Class Educational Attainment

“Just one in five white working-class children achieve a strong pass at GCSE.”

That was the headline statement from UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson as results were released last week. The Institute for Government echoed the alarm, highlighting that disadvantaged white pupils in England continue to face “particularly poor educational outcomes”  with long-term consequences for jobs, social mobility, and Britain’s productivity.

This is hardly a new issue, and Phillipson admitted as much, discussing how the figures look almost identical to those of 2017. In other words, the crisis isn’t emerging; it has been entrenched.

“But what about white working-class kids?”

In the past, I’ve often bristled at this topic being brought up, as too often have the struggles of white working-class pupils been raised less out of genuine concern and more as a way to derail conversations about race, privilege, or systemic discrimination. “How can white privilege exist if they are disadvantaged in the education system?” It can feel like a rhetorical trump card in debates about equity

The reality is undoubtedly more complex. Privilege doesn’t operate on a single axis. Skin colour shapes how people are treated, but so do class, gender, geography, and other identity factors. Recognising the specific disadvantages and stereotypes faced by different groups is not a mistake; it’s essential. 

So now, looking closely at the barriers facing white working-class pupils is part of that wider understanding of how inequality plays out. We need to cut through the noise, look squarely at what’s happening, and ask why.

2025 GCSE Results

This year’s GCSE results show a slight dip overall from the year previous, with 67.4% of grades at 4/C and above across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The cohort receiving results this year started secondary school in the middle of the pandemic, facing significant disruption that continues to affect learning outcomes.

Another alarming factor in these results was the revelation of severe absenteeism. Over 147,600 pupils missed at least half their classes last autumn, the highest rate since records began in 2016. The poorest pupils are the most likely to be absent, reinforcing a cycle of underachievement.

Why Working-Class Pupils Struggle

The challenges facing pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds are not new, nor are they about individual effort. They are rooted in structural inequalities that shape both what children expect of themselves and what the education system expects of them. Poverty, insecure work, and the rising cost of living create constant pressures at home, limiting access to resources such as tutoring, quiet study spaces, or extracurricular activities that many wealthier peers take for granted.

These material pressures are compounded by aspirations shaped by deprivation. Children often internalise the experiences of their parents, who may have struggled to navigate education due to poverty, low socio-economic status, or limited support. This can leave parents feeling disconnected from the school system. Without confidence or guidance to help their children aim higher, children often adopt lower expectations for what they can achieve. Research shows that some working-class pupils actively opt out of “aspiration agendas” like university preparation because they do not see these pathways as realistic or relevant to their lives.

Even for those who achieve strong grades, higher education can feel out of reach. Maintenance loans increasingly fail to cover essentials, and students from poorer backgrounds are among the most debt-averse. Combined with affected aspirations, these financial limits narrow choices and can prevent pupils from pursuing opportunities farther from home, curtailing ambition and attainment.

But why do White working-class pupils struggle compared to ethnic minority peers?

Official 2025 GCSE statistics haven’t been released, but headlines highlighting the disadvantage faced by white working-class pupils point to a persistent trend. Looking at 2024 results, they recorded the lowest outcomes of any ethnic group aside from Gypsy/Roma and Irish Traveller communities. So why, compared to other ethnicities, are white working-class pupils performing worse?

Research points to several interacting factors, though it’s important to recognise that the white working-class group is far from homogeneous. Identities vary across gender, sexuality, geography, and other dimensions, so any analysis can only highlight broader patterns rather than typecast all individuals. At a structural level, geography and cultural expectations play a key role. 

Targeted investment in London has helped raise outcomes, with 71.6% of entries achieving grade 4 or above in 2025. If we look here, white pupils from working-class backgrounds tend to perform better in London as well, highlighting the impact of well-resourced schools and broader opportunities. 

Outside the capital, in rural and post-industrial areas with higher concentrations of white working-class pupils, support has lagged, and outcomes reflect that neglect. Many of these communities have been shaped by decades of industrial decline, where local industries such as manufacturing, mining, or shipbuilding have closed or shrunk. Researchers have discussed how this long-term economic disadvantage limits household incomes, reduces access to educational resources, and influences parental expectations. When parents grew up with fewer opportunities and limited pathways to social mobility, education can feel less like a clear route forward, shaping the aspirations they pass on to their children.

By contrast, many immigrant and ethnic minority families settled in London and across the UK specifically to pursue better opportunities. Education is often seen as a key route to advancement, and parents actively encourage their children to aim for higher grades and pursue higher education. This support and cultural emphasis shape both aspirations and outcomes, potentially contributing to higher attainment among these pupils. White pupils, by comparison, generally have lower university entry rates than ethnic minority groups. Again, while this statistic does not capture the full picture and is influenced by multiple factors beyond cultural background, researchers discuss how it may impact and reflect differences in expectations. Ultimately, the disparity underscores how histories of opportunity, systemic inequality, parental guidance, and cultural framing shape educational outcomes.

Intersection and opportunity: Address White working-class educational disparities

What’s important here is not to frame this as a simple story of “white versus minority outcomes.” For all that has just been discussed, it is clear that inequality does not fall neatly along those lines. Class, geography, race, and culture intersect to shape pupils’ experiences in very different ways. Taking an intersectional view that doesn’t consider aspects of identity in isolation is essential to understand the totality of the challenge and to avoid reducing it to an either/or debate.

Taken together, these factors show that white working-class underachievement is not an isolated issue. Understanding these realities is essential for creating an education system that provides genuine opportunity and prevents inequality from becoming entrenched across generations.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has promised a white paper with “an ambitious vision for every child’s school experience.” Fine words, but unless they translate into resources that tackle absenteeism, lift aspiration, and support families across the country, we risk seeing the same story repeated in 2026.