Educational inequity demands a collective response

The latest Education Policy Institute data should sound an alarm bell. It is a stark reminder that educational inequity remains one of the biggest challenges facing our country.

Despite years of effort, the gap in educational outcomes between children from low-income backgrounds and their peers remains wider than before the pandemic at every stage of education. The Government has set an ambitious goal to halve that gap, and we welcome that commitment. The opportunity now is to translate that commitment into change that is felt in every community.

Educational inequity cannot be solved in isolation. It requires stronger connections across government, education, business, charities, communities and young people themselves, all working towards shared outcomes. Through our Collaboration Partnerships with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, the Fair Education Alliance is already working with regional partners to understand what it takes to build that kind of joined-up approach. Real progress will depend not on any one organisation or level of government acting alone, but on creating a more connected system around the needs of children and young people.

Read the full report here: https://epi.org.uk/annual-report-2026/