A new report reveals that disadvantaged children growing up in Newcastle earn about £7,000 less in their late twenties than those raised in east London.
The study highlights a major gap in social mobility between northern cities and London. It shows that children from London are far more likely to succeed compared to those from other parts of England.
The report, published by the education charity Sutton Trust, found that 34% of children on free school meals (FSM) in London pass Maths and English GCSEs. This compares to just 19-22% of FSM children passing in other parts of the country. Families with a household income under £7,400 a year qualify for free school meals.
In Sutton Trust’s ranking of opportunities for young people across England, London constituencies took all of the top 20 places and 42 of the top 50. East Ham, in London, is the highest-ranked area for opportunity. Newcastle Upon Tyne Central and West ranked the lowest.
Both areas have similar numbers of children on free school meals. However, 83% of FSM children in East Ham remain in education or employment after their GCSEs. In contrast, only 38% of FSM children in Newcastle do the same.
By the age of 22, 35% of FSM children from East Ham have a degree. In Newcastle, just 10% achieve this.
More broadly, 53% of FSM children in the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber are in education, apprenticeships, or employment by age 28. This is below the national average of 68% in England.
While the north-south gap is clear, the Sutton Trust also found big differences within the South East. For example, Sevenoaks in Kent has the highest rate of FSM children not in education or employment at age 28 — 57%. Meanwhile, Bicester and Woodstock in the same region have the lowest rate, at 30%.
Separate research from University College London (UCL) found that high-achieving teenagers from the poorest backgrounds in England are five times more likely to be arrested and sentenced than their richer peers.
The Resolution Foundation warns that without urgent action, 4.6 million children will live in poverty by the end of the decade. Labour leader Keir Starmer has urged the government to scrap the two-child benefit limit, a policy introduced by the Conservatives that is blamed for keeping many children in poverty.
So far, ministers have resisted these calls. They point to their child poverty taskforce, which will soon report on plans to reduce child poverty.
The Sutton Trust also urges the government to increase funding for disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium. They say its value has fallen by 20% since 2014-15 when adjusted for inflation.
Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: “This research shows a shocking picture of unequal opportunities across England. Disadvantaged young people’s futures depend heavily on where they grow up. If the government wants to change this, it must invest seriously in education and jobs in the parts of the UK that have been left behind. Failing to act will harm too many young people’s chances in life.”
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the school leaders’ union NAHT, added: “Regional differences in educational success got worse over the last decade due to school funding cuts, the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis. We need more funding for schools, but also for social care, mental health services, and measures to tackle poverty if children across the country are to thrive.”
