Overview

• The report finds disadvantaged white British pupils have particularly poor outcomes and are concentrated in local authorities with the weakest performance for disadvantaged children.
• Analysts say tackling severe absence is pivotal, with DfE data showing nearly 150,000 pupils in England missed at least half of school sessions in autumn 2024.
• Fewer than one in five white British pupils eligible for free school meals achieved a strong pass in English and maths at GCSE in 2023–24, compared with 45.9% across all state pupils.
• Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has called the situation a “national disgrace” and has prioritised narrowing the attainment gap.
• The Department for Education says reforms will be set out in a Schools White Paper later this year alongside measures including a curriculum and assessment review, new Rise teams, expanded free school meals and breakfast clubs, and strengthened accountability.