- Published
This year, millions of holidaymakers will head to Cornwall and Devon for their sandy beaches and pretty coastal towns - just two reasons why the South West peninsula is England's top tourist destination.
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peninsula → publish → beaches
Yet behind its wild coastal beauty and affluent towns lies a different story: one of lost opportunities and the unfulfilled potential of many growing up in the region.
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story → lie → region
On almost every measure, the region is among the weakest educationally, according to the South West Social Mobility Commission, a coalition of organisations trying to bring about change.
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region → accord → change
Disparities in GCSE results are often framed through the lens of a North-South divide, but that narrative can obscure the challenges facing children in coastal and rural parts of England.
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narrative → frame → England
When you look at the regional data for English and maths GCSE passes for all pupils in England, you can see that, overall, the South outperforms the North.
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South → look → North
However, when you drill down into the data at a local authority level, and take into account children on free school meals, you see a different story.
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you → drill → story
The South West is the second worst performing region through this lens, after the South East.
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West → perform → East
Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Professor of Education at Plymouth Marjon University, describes what happens in the South West as "pretty poverty", and says this leads to fewer young people reaching their full potential.
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people → describe → potential
She calls growing up in a low-income family in a coastal rural community a potentially "toxic" combination.
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She → call → community
The government does measure the level of disadvantage in communities but Prof Ovenden-Hope says too much of that is done using measures that work for towns and cities, including transport.
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that → measure → transport
"If you live in Cornwall you have to own a car.
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you → live → car
It's not a luxury, it's a necessity, because everything you do and everywhere you go involves some kind of travel.
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you → do → travel
That's not measured by the government's measures of deprivation."
This matters
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This → measure → deprivation
because it helps decide how government money is allocated across England
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money → help → England
Tourism is the largest contributor to Cornwall's economy, but it comes at a price for local families bringing up children on the lowest incomes.
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it → come → incomes
In April 2025, Cornwall Council introduced a 100% premium on council tax for second homes because of growing concern that wealthier visitors were buying up property at higher prices, reducing the affordability and availability of starter homes for local families.
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visitors → introduce → families
Figures from the ONS show the average house price in Cornwall in May 2026 was £280,000, and across the South West region it was £303,000.
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it → show → region
Meanwhile average monthly rent in Cornwall rose by 4% in the year to June 2026 to £1,005.
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rent → rise → 1,005
"It's not all ice creams and sandy beaches and turquoise seas," says Dominic Wilkes, a headteacher who moved from Greater Manchester to Bude in North Cornwall.
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who → say → Cornwall
While the remoteness of some communities can also act as a deterrent for young teachers to move here from other parts of England, according to recent research.
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teachers → act → research
For Wilkes, who works at the only secondary school in Bude, the main upside is better teacher retention, which helps build a deep connection to the local community.
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which → work → community
But inspiring children to think about different options for their future comes with its challenges.
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inspiring → inspire → challenges
As a teacher in Greater Manchester, Wilkes could hop on a tram to take pupils to museums and different workplaces, including the BBC at MediaCity in Salford, as part of the curriculum.
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Wilkes → hop → curriculum
Pupils travel in from scattered villages and the area offers a relatively limited range of employers able to broaden their horizons or spark ambitions beyond the classroom.
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area → travel → classroom
Year 10 pupil Ethan, from Budehaven Community School, wants to become a marine biologist and recently completed a work experience placement at a seal sanctuary that was a three-hour round trip by car.
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that → want → car
"I love being in the sea and just protecting its habitats and wildlife, it really makes me excited to do something like that," he said.
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he → love → that
"I think Cornwall's amazing and all my family are here but I think I want to be able to grow as a person.
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I → think → person
I think I can only do that by leaving and exploring new adventures."
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I → think → adventures
Year 9 student Burt told us he had to travel to Oxfordshire and Coventry to take part in the National Youth Choir, which meant his dad had to book a hotel to break up the journey.
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dad → tell → journey
He thinks there are good opportunities to be found but they're more difficult, and sometimes costly, to access from his town.
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they → think → town
But others told us Cornwall is the perfect location for them.
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Cornwall → tell → them
Poppy wants to be a florist and dreams of opening a seasonal business selling homegrown local wildflowers.
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Poppy → want → wildflowers
Wilkes has decided to spend above average on careers advice and trips, including to universities, to help expand pupils' horizons but it is still hard.
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it → decide → horizons
He had to turn down an offer of work experience from a "brilliant company" because although it didn't look too far on a map, it was five hours each way by road, without a direct bus service.
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it → have → service
This kind of challenge potentially deepens the divide between families who have the money to afford petrol for long-distance trips or holidays abroad, and those who are just about managing the basics with a rising cost of living.
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who → deepen → living
In the South West, much of the local employment is in farming or tourism, with young adults looking to leave and build their careers elsewhere.
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adults → look → careers
In 2024, jobs related to the visitor economy made up approximately 20% of employment in Cornwall.
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jobs → relate → Cornwall
The South West Social Mobility Commission has other concerns about children who receive free school meals in the region.
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who → have → region
It warns that 46% of secondary pupils (and 27% of primary pupils) are persistently absent, which means missing 10% of their school time.
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which → warn → time
While suspensions, exclusions and home education are also among the highest in England "raising important questions about school engagement, belonging and access to education".
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suspensions → raise → education
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
