The opportunity gap facing boys from low-income families at age 5 and beyond

This report looks beneath the headline data to focus on one group particularly at risk of being overlooked, or under-served, by policy making from an early age: boys from low-income families. It provides a data-driven picture of the opportunity gap facing this group at age 5 and beyond, the root causes of attainment gaps and how these are linked to systemic failings in the way government works.

This publication was kindly supported by Impact on Urban Health. On 16 February 2026 this section was updated in line with analysis published in our December 2025 paper  Policy making blind spots: Why some children are left behind from the start.

For more background on the report, visit our web page.