SHINE’s submission to Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes
Call for policymakers to focus on tackling persistent poverty and structural barriers to learning.
SHINE and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership have told the Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes that policymakers should focus on tackling persistent poverty and structural barriers to learning.
In its submission to the Inquiry, the partners acknowledged that the term “white working-class” can have diagnostic and analytical value because white pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) consistently perform less well on average than many of their peers from other ethnic backgrounds when long-term disadvantaged.
However, they warned the phrase should never be used to stigmatise or create a sense of competition between groups.
Instead, the partners urged a sharper focus on long-term disadvantage, noting that persistent FSM gaps for White British pupils remain among the largest in the system.
Their submission highlighted regional disparities, with 1 in 10 children in the North East falling into high-impact groups compared to just around 2% in Outer London.
The submission also identified multiple factors behind poor outcomes, including:
- Economic deprivation is the strongest predictor of educational underachievement.
- Cultural and aspirational barriers, where historical mistrust of formal education suppresses expectations.
- Curriculum content that can feel culturally distant, reducing engagement.
- Challenges in attracting experienced teachers to deprived areas and gaps in pastoral support during key transitions.
What works
The submission stated said there is no strong trial evidence that interventions must be different because pupils are ‘white working-class’, but stressed that local tailoring is vital. Successful programmes combine curriculum change, staff development, parental engagement, mentoring and practical supports, rather than isolated initiatives.
The charity showcased three high-impact interventions:
- Fluency for All, a peer-tutoring scheme that boosted reading scores by +8.5 points for disadvantaged pupils.
- Chatta, which improved writing outcomes for 70% of FSM reception pupils.
- Are You Really Reading?, which cut the proportion of below-expected readers from 36% to 7% over three years.
The submission concluded: “The last thing that schools need is a national strategy for white-working class students”. Instead, it called for:
- Adequate funding: uplifting the Pupil Premium for children experiencing long-term disadvantage.
- Professional autonomy for teachers and school leaders to drive and adopt solutions for their contexts.
- Access to the best quality research evidence and networks.