This document examines the relationship between ethnicity and educational attainment in the UK. It discusses factors both inside and outside of school that can influence attainment, such as material/economic disadvantages, cultural differences, and teacher biases. Data from government reports between 1985 and 2005 show that students from minority ethnic groups in the UK tend to have lower incomes and higher unemployment rates than white students, which impacts their attainment levels. However, economic disadvantage rather than ethnicity is the primary factor affecting attainment.