Social Mobility and Educational Inequality in England: A Regional Breakdown

Abstract: The UK has one of the lowest rates of social mobility in the developed world. While ample research has been published on the stratification of British society resulting from this, far less UK-specific work looks to unpack the processes which ensure these divides persist. This study reviews wider social mobility literature to demonstrate how inequality of opportunity in human capital development could be the dominant causal factor in low mobility, before investigating instances of this in England specifically. This is achieved via a regional analysis of educational inequality, whereby differences in pupil attainment within and between 300+ Local Authority Districts are examined. It is revealed that London has very high opportunity for all children, whereas elsewhere in the country only wealthy children perform well. There is also evidence of an urban/suburban divide and a north/south divide in educational opportunity, as well as significant relationships between opportunity and socio-economic variables. This detailed regional picture can be used to guide further research, and to make inferences about low mobility in the UK.