Education gaps for lowest-income pupils could take centuries to close

‘Transformational change’ is needed in the education system to close gaping inequalities according to the findings from our Report Card 2026.

The Government’s schools white paper pledged to halve the attainment gap between children from low-income backgrounds and their peers within a generation. But the Report Card warns that at current rates some gaps would take centuries to close – while others are widening. 

 Children from low-income families are already 4.9 months behind their peers at age five, a gap that would take 163 years to close at the current rate of progress, according to data from the Education Policy Institute. 

The gap widens to 10 months by the end of primary school and 19 months by the end of secondary school. The primary gap would take 250 years to close, while the secondary gap is widening and will never close without a change in direction. 

The gaps can be seen in other areas such as wellbeing, too; research from The Children’s Society found in 2024 that children and young people growing up in households in financial strain are nearly twice as likely to have low life satisfaction (17% vs 9%). 

Successive efforts have focused too heavily on individual institutions and isolated programmes, despite educational inequity being shaped by poverty, health, family support and employment. The Fair Education Report Card calls for coordinated action from neighbourhood to national level, combining stronger national policy and investment with devolved regional leadership and collaboration. 

Gina Cicerone, Chief Executive of the Fair Education Alliance, said:

“At the current rate, it will take several lifetimes to close the gaps in development and attainment. That is not progress, and it is not something we should accept. Teachers, schools and organisations across the country are doing extraordinary work, but isolated effort cannot overcome barriers reinforced across the whole system. This is an opportunity to show children and young people that we are listening to them and care about the barriers they face.

“Local, regional and national government must work hand in hand, connecting national policy with local insight and sharing learning within and across places so that progress can spread without duplication. National government must match ambition with long-term investment, joining up policy across education, health, employment and communities.”

The report warns that even if government targets are met, 1 in 4 children will still fall short of the expected development level when they start school and low-income pupils will be around 9.5 months behind at GCSE. 

The Report Card makes 37 recommendations under three priorities: 

• Make schools part of connected communities: invest in collaboration between schools, public services, local government and civil society, including additional funding for schools serving pupils experiencing persistent poverty.

• Join up education, skills and employment: introduce a 16–19 Student Premium, develop essential skills earlier and support employers to create opportunities for young people.  

• Build a village around every child: connect Family Hubs, early education, health services and schools, while prioritising access to high-quality early education for low-income families.  

The expansion of Mayoral Strategic Authorities offers a major opportunity to put this approach into practice. The secondary attainment gap is 10.8 months in London, compared with more than 19 months in every other English region, demonstrating the need for sustained collaboration shaped around each place. 

Through our Neighbourhood to National strategy, the Fair Education Alliance is working with Mayoral Strategic Authorities in Liverpool City Region, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands to test locally designed approaches to early childhood development and youth employment. We are also bringing together education and skills leaders from seven Mayoral Strategic Authorities to share learning and connect local practice with national policy.

Find out more about our place-based work.