Three quarters of poorer pupils fear they’ll struggle to find a career once they leave school

Ahead of next week’s Budget, education charity Teach First is calling on the Chancellor and UK businesses to work together to unlock opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds — as new polling of 1,000 secondary school pupils reveals deep anxiety about their future careers.

Among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds¹:

• Three quarters (76%) are worried about their chances of getting into university, securing an apprenticeship, or finding a job when they leave school.
• A quarter (26%) are very worried – double the proportion of wealthier pupils (13%).
• A fifth (22%) say they feel hopeless about their future, compared to 15% of wealthier pupils.
• Nearly half (46%) fear that artificial intelligence will threaten their chances of a good future after school.

The polling also reveals potential reasons behind this anxiety – showing how too many young people still lack access to the support and experiences that help them thrive in the classroom and beyond.

Among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds:

• A quarter (26%) say they don’t have access to good work experience opportunities.
• One in five say they lack good access to support for additional needs (21%) or mental health support (20%) – with white working-class pupils the most likely to report poor access (29% and 28% respectively).
• Nearly one in five (17%) say they miss out on good enrichment activities such as clubs, trips and sports – compared to 10% of their better-off peers.

Teach First says the findings reveal a double disadvantage for young people from low-income backgrounds: they face greater anxiety about their futures and are also the most likely to become NEET (not in education, employment or training) because of the barriers they face to education, training and work.

With the Chancellor promising “a Budget for growth, with fairness at its heart”, Teach First is urging her to deliver for those facing the greatest disadvantage - and calling on businesses to play their part too by backing the forthcoming Youth Guarantee.

Teach First is therefore calling for:

• The Youth Guarantee - a forthcoming government scheme designed to help every young person secure a place in education, training or work – should prioritise those from low-income communities, ensuring those most at risk of being left behind can move successfully into meaningful employment.
• Businesses to play their part - by signing up to the Youth Guarantee, offering apprenticeships, placements and training opportunities to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, while working with local schools to provide high-quality work experience.
• Investment in schools serving disadvantaged communities by increasing the pupil premium - recognising that these schools face greater challenges linked to poverty and need more support to provide the teaching, experiences and opportunities that help every pupil succeed.

James Toop, CEO of Teach First said:

“Too many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds feel locked out of their future before they’ve even left school - not because they lack ambition, but because they face greater barriers to opportunities. While it’s hugely welcome to see the Government’s recent commitment to helping young people into education, training or work, we must ensure this support reaches those most in need."

“At the Budget, the Chancellor and businesses have the chance to rewrite that future - by working together to invest in schools serving disadvantaged communities and open up routes into training and employment to unlock potential and drive growth with fairness at its heart.”

Anna Richardson, Teach First Ambassador and Principal of Oasis Academy South Bank in London, said:

“Many of our students come from families facing real financial pressures, yet they arrive each day determined to build a better future. What they need most are good opportunities and a great education with teachers who believe in them - the kind of support their wealthier peers often take for granted."

“At Oasis Academy South Bank, we work to make that a reality through great teaching, brilliant adults supporting students and opportunities outside the classroom that help every young person discover who they are and what they can become. But schools like ours can't do it on our own. Sustained investment in communities facing disadvantage is essential if every child, no matter their background, has the chance to thrive and build the future they deserve.”

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About Teach First: Teach First is an education charity committed to giving children facing the biggest barriers the chance to fulfil their potential. It backs the schools with the toughest challenges. The charity finds and trains teachers, develops school leadership teams and connect schools with networks of diverse expertise and opportunities to create real change.

Since launching in 2003, the charity has now placed over 20,000 teachers and leaders, has more than 150 headteachers in its alumni, and has supported over two million pupils.

Those on the flagship Training Programme commit to a minimum of two years at their partner school - gaining a fully-funded Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and earning a salary whilst they train. More than half then stay on for a third year, where they have the option to top up their qualification to a master’s. Over 60% of all the teachers who’ve completed training since 2003 are still currently teaching.

Notes to Editor

• J.L. Partners polled a nationally representative sample of 1000 pupils aged 11-18 in England.
• Fieldwork was conducted between 21 – 28th October 2025.
• The sample of 1,000 secondary school pupils comprised two groups: a panel of 16–18-year-olds who were personally surveyed, and a panel of 11-18-year-olds surveyed via their parents, with the device passed to the child to complete the questions.