UK Government regional data on pupil ethnicity highlights how England’s classrooms are steadily becoming more diverse, raising important questions about whether or not the National Curriculum supports the realities of children growing up today.
Across the country schools are being shaped by globalisation and migration.
While these shifts have been gradual, rather than sudden, the cumulative impact is becoming more significant.
In many regions the ethnic make-up of classrooms now looks very different to how it did nine years ago.
The style of teaching changes for academic ability, does ethnicity play a role in how students learn, and should the National Curriculum be renewed to reflect the local reality that pupils experience?
Data shows that since 2017 there has been a decrease in pupils from a White ethnic background across all regions in England, and most prominently pupils of White British ethnicity declining from 66.07% to 60.75%.
Although England still has a majority White population of pupils, the statistics paint a picture of England where the younger generation is increasingly diversifying and the realities of these pupils will reflect that through culture and family life.
This reality stands true in regions like the East Midlands where the percentage of pupils of all White ethnic backgrounds fell from 77.62% in 2017/2018 to 72.88% in 2024/2025.
While this percentage dropped by almost 5%, the percentage of pupils from Asian, Black and Mixed ethnic backgrounds increased, over an eight year period which speaks to the change of classroom demographics.
London also showed a shift, with pupils of White ethnicity decreasing from 40.32% to 37.12% over the same period while there is an increase of pupils of Asian, and Mixed ethnicity.
Associate Professor in the study of Social Justice, Darren Sharpe said: “The National Curriculum currently fails all young people but in particular it fails the global majority.
“Their identities are not centred in the curriculum.
“They cannot identify on an emotional and intellectual level and they are more likely to feel detached from what is being taught.”
While teachers regularly adapt their methods of teaching and styles used to support pupils with different academic abilities, Sharpe expressed that ethnicity and cultural background are rarely reflected in the structure or content of the National Curriculum itself.
Sharpe added: “School Teachers should have the flexibility to adhere to the National Curriculum but make it place based to better meet the needs of their student population”.
East Midlands Teacher Dennis Davis said: “we need to look at different ways of how we teach and we need to look at different teaching styles.”
Davis argues that the curriculum remains insufficient in its ability to help pupils from all ethnic minority backgrounds to achieve.
“It has taken generations for Black and South Asian students to navigate the curriculum in a way that significantly raises their academic achievement,” he said.
Davis explains that for many pupils, this lack of representation can feel alienating. The curriculum is compulsory, yet large numbers of students rarely see their histories, cultures, or experiences reflected in what they study.
Adding to this view, he feels this can make learning feel detached from real life, reducing engagement and motivation.
Both Sharpe and Davis suggested that academic attainment for pupils of an ethnic minority has a correlation with the curriculum and school spaces, where pupils are not being engaged by the material that is taught.
East Midlands Teacher Imani Lockhart believes reform is overdue.
“If education is meant to help young people think for themselves and engage with the world around them, then what we teach cannot remain narrow or simplified,” she said.
The classroom is often described as a microcosm of society acting as a space where young people are prepared for adult life.
However, Lockhart questions whether the classroom and teaching material equips pupils with the tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex and globalised world.
Lockhart expresses that representation does not mean tailoring lessons to individual identities, but ensuring content is relevant, inclusive, and rooted in the social and cultural context pupils experience every day.
Pupils should leave school with a clearer understanding of political systems, media influence, and civic responsibility.
Sharpe adds that to address the diversification of classrooms and educating of young people, there needs to be a concerted effort between parents and schools to support their children in their education.
Data shows us what the future workforce, voters, and leaders may look like – what pupils learn in classrooms today will shape that.
England’s classrooms continue to diversify, do policymakers need to evolve the National Curriculum to reflect the society it serves?
Feature image credit: Pupils in classroom by Taylor Flowe. Published in 2020 via Unsplash
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