Society needs to act to help white working-class pupils, inquiry says

Action from "across society" is needed to help improve the educational outcomes of white working-class children, the co-chair of an independent inquiry looking into the issue has said. The inquiry's first report, published this summer , concluded that once-in-a-generation reforms were needed to fix a system "not serving the interests of white working-class children".

The next phase will focus on early years children and teenagers aged 14 to 19, aiming for a stronger start at primary school and improving older students' routes through education into successful careers. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was "backing" the inquiry to "get to the heart of the barriers holding children back".

Inquiry co-chair and former education secretary Baroness Morris said the next phase of the inquiry's work will consider "what needs to be done". The Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes , external was commissioned by the multi-academy trust Star Academies, and is supported by the Department for Education.