A third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave primary school without the reading ability needed to cope with secondary education, according to new research that highlights persistent inequalities in educational attainment.
The findings, published by the Fischer Family Trust (FFT), come just days after an independent inquiry concluded that England’s education system is failing to meet the needs of many white working-class children and families.
Commissioned by a schools academy trust and supported by the Department for Education, the inquiry examined why educational outcomes among white working-class pupils continue to lag behind those of other major demographic groups.
The latest FFT analysis reinforces those concerns, revealing that disadvantaged white pupils consistently perform below both their more affluent white peers and disadvantaged pupils from other ethnic backgrounds throughout primary school.
The research found that 33% of disadvantaged white pupils finish Year 6 reading fewer than 90 words correctly per minute, the recognised benchmark for secure reading fluency. By comparison, only 20% of non-disadvantaged pupils fall below this standard.
Education experts warn that pupils who enter secondary school without secure reading fluency often struggle to understand lessons across a range of subjects, increasing the risk of disengagement, poor academic performance and persistent school absence.
The findings are based on more than one million reading fluency assessments involving around 231,000 pupils across 1,570 schools between September 2023 and June 2026.
During the assessment, pupils are asked to read an age-appropriate passage aloud for one minute. According to the FFT, a Year 6 pupil reading below 90 words per minute typically demonstrates a level of fluency similar to that of an average Year 3 pupil.
Paul Charman, Managing Director of the Fischer Family Trust, said the most concerning finding was not simply the lower reading performance among disadvantaged white pupils, but the fact that the gap failed to narrow during their years in primary education.
He said secure reading fluency is fundamental to academic success, enabling pupils to engage confidently with every subject across the curriculum. Without it, many children become increasingly disconnected from learning and are more likely to miss school.
School leaders say the issue begins well before children enter the classroom.
James Bowen, Assistant General Secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said differences in vocabulary and language development are already evident by the age of five. He argued that improving reading outcomes requires greater investment in early years education alongside stronger support for families.
Hamid Patel, Chief Executive of Star Academies and co-chair of the independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes, said the findings underline the need for a renewed national focus on reading fluency from primary school through the early years of secondary education.
He warned that helping children develop strong reading skills at an early stage gives them a genuine opportunity to succeed, while failing to address the issue can have long-term consequences for their education and future prospects.
Responding to the inquiry, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was committed to improving opportunities for white working-class children, while acknowledging that meaningful change would take time. She said the government was determined to tackle longstanding educational inequalities and improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils across England.