ABSTRACT
Our findings in relation to social class revealed clear differences between different social groups: pupils who are from lower socioeconomic groups (particularly those from unskilled manual backgrounds) and who are from low-income families achieve less well on average in a range of tests, examinations and assessments than those who are from higher socio-economic groups and who are from families on higher incomes. The data also indicate that students from families where the parents have higher levels of education on average gain better results. The differences between social classes are found at all stages of the education process and extend to participation in education post-16.
