Ensuring that the education system works for pupils from all backgrounds is key to the Department of Education's aims. This document collates and contextualises available evidence on outcomes by ethnicity across the school system. Doing so allows for a rounded view of the data in proper context, and overall trends to emerge. Attainment figures used in the headline section below are taken from 2019, as this is the latest available attainment publication1 across all age groups following the 2020 COVID cancelation of many regular examinations and statistics publications. Census data from 2021 is used to get the latest available breakdown of pupil characteristics. From 2019 to 2021, the rate of Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility has risen from 1 in 7 to 1 in 5 pupils, and the rise is broadly consistent across ethnic groups. The shifts do not affect the overall trends described in this note. This document does not consider the impact of COVID-19 on different ethnic groups. Ethnicity will continue to be examined as a factor in relevant COVID-19 research by the Department.