The UK’s most influential people are more than five times as likely to have attended private school compared to the general population, according to research findings released today (19 September) by social mobility charity Sutton Trust.
The Elitist Britain 2025 report highlighted that while 6% of pupils in England currently attend independent schools, 36% of those in the country’s elite are privately educated.
Of FTSE 100 chief executives educated in the UK, around a third (34%) attended a state comprehensive, a proportion unchanged since 2019. Nearly four in 10 (37%) went to a private school and 29% to grammar school.
To address this imbalance, we asked HR leaders how organisations can better attract candidates from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and strengthen diversity from the top.
Paul Sesay, CEO and founder of DEI network Inclusive Companies, said: “My gateway to work and a fulfilling career was having a mentor, and that is what people from lower socio-economic backgrounds need.”
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Speaking to HR magazine, he explained: “Mentorship, coupled with a paid internship in an organisation truly committed to being inclusive, will open career opportunities and help employers unlock untapped potential across the UK.
“Employers must value talent, ambition and dedication over background or circumstance. Inclusive hiring requires genuine engagement with local communities and empowering diverse employees to share insights.”
FTSE100 chairs are more likely to have attended both private schools and Oxbridge. Most (68%) are privately educated and 45% are Oxbridge-educated.
Across other influential roles, the Sutton Trust reported that 62% of senior judges, 52% of the House of Lords, and 34% of charity chief executives were privately educated.
“The Sutton Trust’s findings aren’t new”, Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey, director of inclusion-focused advisory firm Element of Inclusion, told HR magazine.
“That’s understandable, given class is routinely ignored in EDI work,” he continued. “With education consistently used as a proxy for class, HR has an opportunity to use it as a measurable lever; acting as educators who widen the path to the elite, rather than gatekeepers waiting decades for institutions to act on policy wish lists.”
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Sesay suggested that offering placements alone is insufficient; organisations must commit to mentoring and training that builds workplace skills, confidence and social capital for long-term success.
“Employers must recruit carefully and ensure equity, as representation without it has no value,” Sesay said.
The Sutton Trust also found that 9% of employers ask whether employees were eligible for free school meals, and 15% collect data on parental occupation or class background. This research finding came from its YouGov poll of 1,492 senior business decision-makers last month.
The poll revealed a 2% increase from 2019 in the proportion of companies using contextual recruitment, which considers applicants’ credentials in the context of their background. Nearly one in five (17% of) firms report that they are systematically using contextual recruitment practices.
Speaking to HR magazine, Kerry Dryburgh, chief HR and communications officer for the oil and gas company BP, said: “I’ve seen first-hand how advocacy, mentorship and the right support can change lives.”
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“Talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not. When we open doors and help people thrive, we strengthen our business and the resilience of our industry. Ultimately, everybody benefits,” Dryburgh explained.
Dryburgh added: “Social mobility is not just a moral imperative, it’s a business one.”
Sesay encouraged businesses to appoint more inclusively. He said: “Building authentically means supporting diverse colleagues to rise through the ranks, combining their unique talents with organisational experience for leadership.”
Sutton Trust’s representatives approached more than 6,000 individuals to inform its Elitist Britain 2025 report. They conducted desk-based research using a range of sources, including LinkedIn and other social media outlets, Who’s Who, local newspaper reports, Bloomberg and Wikipedia.
Its YouGov survey was conducted using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov Plc UK panel. The total sample size was 1,492 B2B senior decision-makers in the British business sector. Results were weighted representative based on British business size. Fieldwork was conducted between 12 and 21 August 2025.
