Autumn Budget 2026: James Toop's open letter to the Chancellor

Dear Chancellor,

A child’s future should be full of promise and possibilities. But, for a child growing up in poverty, all too often, it can feel like their future is already written. They are more likely to fall behind in school, more likely to leave without the grades they need, and more likely to experience poverty later in life.  

That is why we welcome the Government’s ambition set out by the Schools White Paper to halve the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers by the time they sit their GCSEs. It is an important commitment, and one we believe can be achieved. Teach First is proud to be working in partnership on the Teach Lead Change programme to bring thousands of talented graduates into classrooms, to give children from disadvantaged backgrounds the high-quality education they deserve. By prioritising funding for these pupils in your Budget, you can make meaningful progress towards that goal.  

Our latest research shows that children and young people who experience persistent disadvantage (meaning they are eligible for free school meals for 80% or more of their education) are almost two years of learning behind their peers, and our data shows that 1 in 4 persistently disadvantaged young people leave school without a sustained post-16 pathway. Even when the attainment gap has narrowed for disadvantaged pupils overall, persistently disadvantaged pupils show no progress.  

We are asking you to consider using the Autumn Budget on 28 October to prioritise tackling the persistent disadvantage we see in education and give all children a fair chance in life.  

You can do this by investing in a more effective pupil premium. By boosting the real-terms value of the pupil premium, and creating a new persistent disadvantage premium, this Government can give those most disadvantaged pupils the help they deserve to reach their potential.

Research from Teach First also shows that schools serving the most acute disadvantage often find themselves having to use their pupil premium funding to meet children’s immediate needs, such as food, clothes, and toiletries. Yet as a result of tightening budgets, three fifths of teachers feel unable to teach effectively and two fifths feel disadvantaged pupils are not receiving adequate support. This dire situation does not set schools up to be able to successfully tackle the unfair and stubborn attainment gap which remains between persistently disadvantaged children and their peers.

Some schools are making a clear difference through attendance interventions, wellbeing support, small-group tuition, and well-deployed teaching assistants. Renewed investment in this kind of work would mean more disadvantaged children have a chance to reach their potential at school and avoid finding themselves without work or training.

Each year, approximately 23,500 persistently disadvantaged pupils become NEET. That’s over 40% of 16-17-year-olds that are NEET, despite making up only 13% of young people. Prioritising school funding for this critical group could break the cycle, in turn boosting economic growth, saving the UK billions of pounds, and giving these young people the future they deserve.  

With the right support early on, young people facing even the toughest circumstances can be supported to achieve their full potential in school and follow the path they choose. We know this Government is committed to breaking down the barriers to opportunity for young people. For children sitting in classrooms across the country, the decisions made now could shape their entire lives. With meaningful action and investment, we can rewrite the future.

Yours sincerely,

James Toop
CEO, Teach First