Nationally, schools received a record £539 million this year to cater for pupils who have English as an additional language, with that figure set to rise to £572 million in the 2026-27 academic year, according to Department for Education figures. Two schools collected at least £500,000 each this year for translators, bilingual teaching assistants, and support materials, the same data shows. In parts of the country, such as Newham in east London, English is no longer the mother tongue for most pupils, with two-thirds of children speaking another primary language, Department for Education statistics indicate. Meanwhile, white working-class boys from the poorest homes remain near the bottom of the class, with warnings from the Sewell Commission not being listened to, according to Lord Sewell. Just 36% of white British boys on free school meals reached the expected standard in GCSE maths and English last year, compared to 65% of all pupils, the Centre for Social Justice reports. White British boys on free school meals were outperformed by other boys on free school meals: 58% of Black African background, 82% of Chinese heritage, 68% of Bangladeshi, and 39% of Black Caribbean achieved grade four or above, according to the same report.
Family stability and structural factors are driving these educational disparities. Just 20% of disadvantaged white children live with married parents today, compared to almost 60% among poor children in non-white families, the Centre for Social Justice claims. Lord Sewell, chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, stated that the main drivers of unequal outcomes are class, geography, and family stability, not race alone. Mercy Muroki, former commissioner and CSJ development director, echoed this, saying that family stability, class, and aspiration matter far more for children's life chances than issues that dominated identity politics culture wars in 2020.
Stop pitying them, we obsess about it far too much and we don't need to fret about them – we need to worry about the white working-class kids.
Alarming rates of school exclusions and disengagement further highlight the challenges facing boys. Boys account for 83% of permanent school exclusions and experience higher rates of becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training), according to the Centre for Social Justice's Lost Boys report. White working-class boys on free school meals are among those least likely to continue their education beyond age 16, the same report notes.
Political and expert reactions are calling for a policy shift. Campaigners argue that white working-class children are being ignored and left to fall behind, with calls for funding to be explicitly diverted to them. According to Daily Mail - Home, Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education described how policymakers must stop focusing on the 'poor immigrant' and worry more about white working-class kids. Lord Sewell stated that white working-class boys remain the 'forgotten demographic' in schooling. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has previously described outcomes for white working-class pupils as a 'national disgrace'.
Of course children who don't have the requisite English language skills need to be assimilated and have time and money spent but that should come before they enter the school system.
Proposed solutions and interventions are emerging, though specific government actions remain uncertain. According to Daily Mail - Home, Chris McGovern suggested that one or two special centres or target schools should be set up within each local authority to provide a pre-education English course to children who struggle. Lord Sewell emphasized that racism still persists and should be confronted wherever it is found. The detailed reasons behind the higher performance of ethnic minority boys on free school meals compared to white British boys from similar economic backgrounds are not fully explained, and how the £539 million in EAL funding is being allocated and monitored across schools to ensure effective use is also unclear.
We have consistent and obvious annual evidence that it is the white working-class children who perform worse and need numeracy and literacy support, if there is money to be going around.
A lack of imagination is the big problem with the educational world but however we tackle it we need to focus on the right group – don't pity the immigrant, they are the education system's biggest success story.
White working class boys from the poorest homes are still stuck at the bottom of the class. Our warnings were not listened to.
Family stability, class, and aspiration matter far more for children’s life chances than many of the issues that dominated identity politics culture wars in 2020.
Five years ago, we were told by the woke Left and liberal Right that the evidence on class and family was uncomfortable. Since then, this evidence has only hardened.
Our report set out clearly that racism still persists, and we should confront it wherever it is found. But we also said something else: the main drivers of unequal outcomes are class, geography and family stability, not race alone.
If we are serious about opportunity, we have to stop arguing about language and start delivering change in the places that need it most.
White working-class boys remain the 'forgotten demographic' in schooling.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has previously described outcomes for white working-class pupils as a 'national disgrace'.