New research reveals that a third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave primary school unable to read well enough to access the secondary curriculum, leading to disengagement and school absence. The findings, published by Fischer Family Trust (FFT), highlight a persistent educational gap.
Reading Fluency Gaps Persist Through Primary School
The analysis shows that white disadvantaged pupils have lower reading fluency throughout primary than their wealthier peers and disadvantaged pupils from other ethnic backgrounds. By the end of year 6, 33% of white disadvantaged pupils read below 90 words correct per minute (WCPM), the benchmark for secure reading fluency, compared to 20% of non-disadvantaged pupils.
Paul Charman, managing director of FFT, noted that the gap between white disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers does not decrease during primary school. “A third of white disadvantaged pupils are leaving primary school without secure reading fluency,” he said. “This should concern anyone interested in improving educational outcomes and narrowing disadvantage gaps.”
Impact on Secondary Education and Engagement
Without adequate reading fluency, pupils struggle to keep up with the secondary curriculum, leading to disengagement and increased absence. The findings stem from over a million FFT reading fluency assessments involving 231,000 pupils in 1,570 schools from September 2023 to June 2026. Pupils reading below 90 WCPM in year 6 typically have fluency comparable to an average year 3 pupil.
James Bowen, assistant general secretary at the NAHT school leaders’ union, said the gap emerges before school, reflected in vocabulary differences by age five. “This is not a new problem, but it has proven a stubbornly difficult one to solve. A renewed focus on supporting reading for disadvantaged children would be welcome, but that must start in the early years and include a strong focus on supporting families too.”
Calls for Renewed National Focus
The research follows an independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes, which concluded the education system is “not set up to serve white working-class children and families.” Hamid Patel, CEO of Star Academies and co-chair of the inquiry, stated: “These findings reinforce the inquiry’s call for a renewed national focus on reading fluency, from primary through into the early years of secondary. If we get this right, we give pupils a genuine chance to succeed; if we do not, the consequences are long-lasting.”
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson commented on the inquiry report: “I know, more than most, that change will not come overnight, but for the first time in a long time, white working-class children have a government that will fight for them.”
