This paper examines the interplay of class and race in theeducation of Roma students in the Czech Republic. We contribute to theliterature on the role of teachers as gatekeepers to future education andemployment by looking into how they assign educational and career routes basedon what they perceive as appropriate for particular students, with students'backgrounds being the deciding criterion. Race and social class are centralpoints of reference, which may operate separately or in concert. The perceivedlow aspirations of Roma children do not only result from an association withtheir social class but are also a product of a racialised school environment,which builds on an understanding of biologised and homogenous Roma identities. We interviewed twenty pedagogues twice, at the beginning of the school year (2021/2022) and towards the end of the year, as their students were preparing to transition from compulsory to secondary education.