Schools North East calls for national rethink on educational inequality at Westminster Insight Conference
Schools cannot close the disadvantage gap alone. Government and public services must do more to address the ‘structural divide’ shaping children’s lives, Schools North East Director Chris Zarraga told Westminster Insight’s Pupil Premium Digital Conference on Wednesday (14 October).
Speaking on behalf of our network of all 1,150 schools in the North East, Chris challenged the tendency to treat educational disadvantage primarily as a school-level problem. He highlighted how poverty, geography and unequal access to services shape children’s opportunities long before they enter the classroom.
The panel discussion explored the barriers facing white working-class pupils and children growing up in coastal and post-industrial communities, alongside the role of place-based approaches in improving educational outcomes.
The discussion echoed the central message of our Summit 2026 last week, where school leaders and speakers from across different sectors called for Mission North East to tackle the ‘structural divide’ affecting children’s opportunities, rather than focusing on school performance alone.
Tackling the causes, not just the symptoms
Schools North East continues to press for greater recognition in national education policy that differences in educational attainment are shaped by the wider circumstances in which schools operate.
During the panel discussion, Chris highlighted the lack of a consistent, joined-up approach to school readiness at a national level, arguing that children’s opportunities are shaped by the places where they grow up.
“If you’re a child growing up in a disadvantaged coastal community, a former industrial town, or a rural area of the North East, you grow up and navigate a very different world from a child who is affluent or not affluent in, say, London. You have different employment opportunities and transport connections.”
From limited transport and access to public services to health inequalities and weaker local labour markets, the challenges facing disadvantaged communities extend well beyond the classroom.
He highlighted the dangers of comparing regions such as London and the North East without accounting for their very different socioeconomic circumstances.
While high-quality teaching remains essential, Chris emphasised that schools cannot be expected to overcome the ‘structural divide’ through educational interventions alone.
Instead, he called for a fundamental shift in the national conversation: away from asking what more schools can do, towards examining how government and other agencies can better support schools and their communities. Other agencies must step up to support schools and trusts if we’re to make any transformational headway for those children.
A joined-up approach to disadvantage
Chris outlined the need for a more coordinated, place-based approach, built around three key principles: sustained national investment and direction, regional coordination and accountability, and local ownership of solutions.
He stressed that successful interventions must reflect the particular needs of communities rather than imposing generic national programmes.
Other panellists reinforced the importance of collaboration beyond education.
Anne-Marie Canning, commissioner for the UKRI White Working Class Educational Outcomes Inquiry, highlighted the disconnect between educational aspirations and the employment opportunities available locally.
Kate Horton, representing the Education Endowment Foundation in the North of England, emphasised the importance of evidence-informed teaching alongside long-term partnerships tailored to local circumstances.
The discussion also explored practical examples of collaboration between schools, health services and other agencies, demonstrating how joined-up support can remove barriers to learning without placing additional demands on school staff.
Giving schools the support they need
For Chris, meaningful progress requires recognising that schools are part of a much wider system. He argued that other public services must be properly resourced and share responsibility for tackling the barriers that prevent children from thriving.
This includes sustained investment, stronger regional partnerships and greater recognition of local expertise in shaping solutions.
North East schools already have considerable expertise in supporting children and communities facing these challenges. Their experience must be recognised and drawn upon in developing the policies and partnerships needed to improve outcomes.
The message from Schools North East was clear: improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils requires more than asking schools to do more with the resources they already have.
We will continue to take the collective experience of North East schools directly to policymakers, challenging assumptions about educational disadvantage and pressing for national policy that reflects the realities of the region.
Our annual events programme, including the Academies Conference 2027 on 29 January and Inclusion Conference 2027 on 25 February, brings school and trust leaders together to share expertise and explore responses to the challenges facing the region. Alongside these events, our roundtables with MPs, surveys of school leaders and wider policy work help us build the evidence and make the case for decisions that reflect the realities of North East schools.
As we approach our 20th anniversary in 2027, ensuring our schools’ voices and expertise shape the decisions affecting them will remain central to our work.
We are currently gathering views from schools across the region through our Ofsted survey. If you have not yet taken part, we encourage you to share your experience and help ensure the perspectives of North East schools are heard.