Society must act to help 1.25 million white working class pupils, inquiry says

A landmark independent inquiry investigating why England's schools are failing white working class pupils has launched its next stage, pledging to turn its findings into lasting change for youngsters. In the summer, the inquiry found that once-in-a-generation refor ms were required to tackle the problem. Around 1.25 million white British pupils eligible for free school meals experience some of the weakest academic outcomes in the country across all stages of education at every stage of education, leaving them as the lowest-performing major demographic in England.

After launching its second phase today, the inquiry will begin working with education organisations to put recommendations into practice. To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: "A child’s background should never mean opportunity belongs to someone else.

But right now, too many white working class children are falling behind at every stage of their education. “That is why I am backing this independent inquiry to get to the heart of the barriers holding children back – from their first steps into school, through to the opportunities and choices they have as teenagers into further study, training or work.” The inquiry will focus on early intervention in primary schools in order to give children a stronger start, alongside their paths through education and work.

The school-to-work pipeline is under particular focus at the moment, as the number of young people not in education, employment or training, classified as Neets, remains just under one million. Sir Hamid Patel, who co-chairs the inquiry alongside former Education Secretary Baroness Estelle Morris, said the probe marks "the beginning of a sustained effort to improve outcomes for white working class young people”. He added: "We will undertake further large-scale research into the parts of the system where we need to understand more, while building a national network of organisations committed not just to advocating for change, but to putting it into practice.

“Our ambition is to turn evidence into action and action into lasting change. The scale of that challenge is considerable, but we are determined to get started.” Baroness Morris said the report in June highlighted the extent of the challenge white working class children face in school – and the consequences of failing to do anything about it. She said: “We can’t stop there. Our next phase of work will be led by experts in the field and will consider what needs to be done.

“This isn’t just the responsibility of schools but calls for action from across society. The partnerships we will bring together can play a powerful role in beginning this work.”