GCSE pupils from poor Chinese families do three times better than whites

Pupils of Chinese descent from disadvantaged homes are almost three times as likely as white working class pupils to get five good GCSEs, a study shows.

The analysis suggests a poor child’s chances of achieving at school depends heavily on their ethnicity.

Across all disadvantaged pupils, white British children had the poorest performance at the age of 16 last year – with only 28 per cent getting good grades, according to the Sutton Trust, an education think tank.

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The report authors said the lack of aspiration in some white working class homes could be to blame because many other cultures place more importance on attainment.

Within the white British working class group, boys achieved the worst, with just 24 per cent gaining the benchmark compared with 32 per cent of girls.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: ‘It is particularly concerning that white working class boys and girls continue to perform so poorly.

‘Harnessing that same will to learn that we see in many ethnic minority groups in white working class communities should be a part of the solution. We need a more concerted effort with white working class boys, in particular.

‘This should ensure that every pupil, regardless of family income, gender or ethnicity has the chance to succeed.’

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The new research brief, Class Differences, highlights how the academic attainment of disadvantaged pupils at 16 varies dramatically between different ethnic groups.

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