Two former education secretaries, union leaders and a college membership body boss have been named as members of a new inquiry launched to investigate the educational outcomes of white working-class children.
More details have been announced for the Independent Inquiry into White Working-Class Educational Outcomes inquiry, commissioned by Star Academies and run by consultants Public First.
The year-long inquiry will examine what is and isn’t working for white working-class children and young people through data analysis, polling, focus groups and immersive research with parents, teachers, children and young people.
It will be co-chaired by chief executive of Star Academies Sir Hamid Patel and Estelle Morris (pictured), who served as education secretary from 2001 to 2002.
The project will be part-funded by Star alongside the Christopher and Henry Oldfield Trust, set up to support programmes which reduce offending and reoffending.
The inquiry was originally reported as being “ordered” by education secretary Bridget Phillipson, but that is not the case. However Sir Kevan Collins, the government’s school standards tsar, is a member.
Other members of the panel have now been confirmed. They are:
- James Bowen, assistant general secretary, NAHT
- Anne-Marie Canning, CEO, The Brilliant Club
- Dame Sally Coates, United Learning
- Professor Rob Coe, director of research and development at Evidence Based Education
- Sir Kevan Collins, school standards advisor, non-executive board member, Department for Education
- Steve Crocker, non-executive board member, Department for Education
- Leora Cruddas, CEO, Confederation of School Trusts
- Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary, ASCL
- Lucy Heller, CEO, Ark
- David Hughes, CEO, Association of Colleges
- Professor Lindsey Macmillan, founding director, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO)
- Baroness Nicky Morgan, former education secretary (2014-16), member of the House of Lords
- Baroness Sally Morgan, former director of government relations in 10 Downing Street, member of the House of Lords
- Dame Lesley Powell, CEO, North East Learning Trust
Phillipson said last month white working-class children had “been betrayed – left behind in society’s rear-view mirror.
“They are children whose interests too many politicians have simply discarded. That’s why I have tasked my officials with bearing down on this schedule”.
Phillipson said data shows a “clear picture” across attendance, attainment and life chances that white-working class children “do exceptionally poorly”.
Of the 1,228 secondaries with more than 20 per cent white working-class pupils taking GCSEs, 1,061 (86 per cent) had a Progress 8 score for those youngsters of -0.5 or worse.
Just 21 schools (1.7 per cent) had a score of 0.5 or better. The rest had a progress 8 score of between 0 and -0.5.
David Hughes, chief Executive of the Association of Colleges and inquiry member, said: “At age 16 we see disproportionate numbers of young people from working class backgrounds disengaged and unmotivated by the education they have been offered, and colleges work hard to turn that around, with great success.
“Understanding how they do that and what works will be great learning for the education system in key stages 3 and 4.”
It is not the first inquiry into the issue. The education committee ran an inquiry in 2014 and again in 2021, with the latter concluding that white working-class pupils had been let down after decades of neglect.
Patel said the inquiry will “take a fresh, evidence-led look at the persistent challenges facing white working-class pupils and work towards practical solutions that can make a lasting difference”.
Ed Dorrell, an education practice partner at Public First who is also currently assisting the Department for Education’s communications team, added: “The issue of educational underachievement of white working-class is young people is one of the most urgent public policy challenges in this country.”
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