Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve educational attainment among white working-class boys in England.

White disadvantaged boys face a distinct and persistent set of challenges within the current system, including some of the lowest attainment at GCSE. Their average attainment has worsened since the pandemic, in line with declines seen across several other groups, although their outcomes remain among the lowest.

The government recognises that, especially for disadvantaged children, engagement and attainment at school is driven by high-quality teaching, a strong and inclusive school environment, and additional targeted support. The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper sets out a coordinated programme of reform to raise standards, with a strong focus on disadvantaged pupils and white working-class children.

The independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes identified barriers to engagement and attainment, and the challenges associated with key transitions throughout the education system. Following its publication, we will continue to engage as the inquiry enters its second phase.

Our approach is comprehensive: rebuilding early family support, developing a new model for targeting disadvantage funding so it better reflects need, strengthening teaching quality and ensuring high-quality curricula are embedded across the system.

We are also launching two place-based missions, Mission North East and Mission Coastal, to drive sustained improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low, including for white working-class boys. These missions will bring together schools, families and local partners at place level to tackle entrenched disadvantage and raise attainment.

In parallel, the department is progressing reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system to ensure earlier identification of need and more consistent, tailored support. These reforms will support inclusion and ensure that children with special educational needs, who are disproportionately represented among disadvantaged cohorts, receive the support required to achieve and thrive.