Only eight of the top 50 constituencies for opportunity and social mobility are outside of London, while places in the North East and North West dominate the bottom of the table.
Social mobility charity the Sutton Trust has compiled its first ever Opportunity Index (Holt-White et al, 2025), drawing upon data from more than 10 million young people across two decades to shine a light on “the geography of opportunity and social mobility”.
The index ranks all the constituencies in England by the school attainment, higher education, employment, and earnings of young people who were eligible for free school meals at secondary school.
The six indicators used are Attainment 8 score, A level results, education/employment post-16, percentage with a degree by age 22, average earnings by age 28, and the percentage in sustained employment at age 28.
All of the top 20 constitencies are in London and the differences between the highest and lowest ranked constituencies are sobering.
Top 20: The Opportunity Index rankings show that all of the top 20 constitencies for social mobility are in London as measured against six key indicators (Holt-White et al, 2025)
Bottom 20: The Opportunity Index rankings show that the bottom 20 constitencies for social mobility are dominated by places in the North West and North East. The table also shows the national averages across the six key indicators (Holt-White et al, 2025)
Top of the table is East Ham in east London (37% FSMs). Bottom of the table is Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (35% FSMs).
Between these two areas, there is a 30% difference between the proportion of pupils eligible for FSMs who achieved passes in English and maths GCSE, and a 45% gap in the proportion going on to sustained education or employment after GCSEs.
FSM pupils from East Ham are more than three times more likely to have a degree by age 22 (35% vs 10%). They are also more than three times more likely to reach the top fifth of earners (20% vs 6%).
Average earnings at age 28 are almost £7,000 lower for FSM students from Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West compared to East Ham.
Overall, while 18% of FSM students from London are in the top 20% of earners at age 28, only 7% of those from the North East are, as are 7% from the North West, and 7% from Yorkshire and the Humber.
Elsewhere, the index finds that London constituencies comprise all except three of the top 20 with the highest Progress 8 averages – the measure of academic progress students make between the end of primary and the end of secondary school. The other three are Manchester Rusholme, Leeds North East, and South Norfolk.
And post-school destinations are also “drastically different” across regions.
For example, only 61% of FSM students from the North East are in education, an apprenticeship, or employment post-16 compared to 68% in London and a national average for all students of 79%.
Furthermore, only 53% of FSM students from the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber were in education, an apprenticeship, or employment at age 28. This is well below the national average for all students of 68%.
Post-16: Using data from 2013-2019, this chart shows the percentage of FSM and non-FSM students in sustained education, apprenticeship or employmenty after key stage 4 across regions (Holt-White et al, 2025)
At age 28: Using data from 2001-2007, this chart shows the percentage of FSM and non-FSM students in sustained education, apprenticeship or employmenty by age 28 across regions (Holt-White et al, 2025)
Average earnings at age 28 were also lowest for FSM students from Yorkshire and the Humber, at £15,176, and highest in London, at £20,080.
The research notes that migration of disadvantaged young people is particularly low for many constituencies in the North East and North West.
Migration between regions is associated with higher average earnings, but when it comes to young people in the study only 6% of those from the North East moved regions, compared to 13% in London and the East of England.
Indeed, all 20 constituencies with the lowest proportion of FSMs students who leave their region are found in the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
The Sutton Trust says that its index “underscores the scale of the government’s challenge in delivering its mission to ‘break down barriers to opportunity'.”
The charity is now calling for the forthcoming Spending Review to provide investment to tackle educational inequality including reforming the National Funding Formula for schools, increasing Pupil Premium funding (which has fallen by 20% in real-terms since 2014/15) and extending it post-16, and expanding FSMs to all children on Universal Credit.
It also says more should be done to incentivise “the best teachers to work in the most disadvantaged schools”, including via financial incentives and increasing flexibility.
Nick Harrison, CEO of the Sutton Trust, said: “This research paints a startling picture of inequality of opportunity across England. The life chances of disadvantaged young people remain strongly tied to where they grow up.
“If the government genuinely wants to break-down barriers to opportunity, we need serious investment in education and economic opportunities in the ‘left behind’ parts of the UK. Failing to act is damaging the life chances of too many of the next generation.”
Commenting on the publication of the Opportunity Index, Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the National Association of Head Teachers, said that a decade of cuts under the last government had exacerbated regional inequalities alongside the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
She continued: "Schools alone cannot solve what are often deep-rooted challenges in families’ lives. As well as increased funding for schools we also need more government investment in services like social care and mental health, as well as action to tackle poverty.”
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said that schools had to be “properly supported” and echoed the research’s call for reforms to the National Funding Formula.
He added: “We need a better funding deal for all education, and a readjustment of the formula to make sure the most disadvantaged schools get the support they need.
“Another vital step towards levelling the playing field between the capital and the rest of the country would be for the government to follow the mayor of London’s lead by investing in children with free school meals for all.
“Beyond the school gates, to make real headway in bringing down these gross inequalities the government must focus on increasing families’ incomes. The cruel sibling tax in the form of the two-child limit and benefit cap disproportionately affects children in the North of England. The government must start by scrapping these.”
- Holt-White, Cullinane & Montacute: The Opportunity Index: The geography of opportunity and social mobility in England, Sutton Trust, May 2025: www.suttontrust.com/our-research/the-opportunity-index
- Sutton Trust: Opportunity Index: Interactive Map: www.suttontrust.com/opportunity-index-interactive-map