White boys from deprived backgrounds need action-packed stories about danger or sport to inspire them in lessons, Ofsted, the education regulator, said yesterday.

They do worse at school than any other group, which has increased concerns that white, working-class boys are becoming an educational underclass.

Advice on how schools should engage with such pupils was published yesterday by Ofsted after it looked at 20 schools where white boys from low income families had done comparatively well.

It recommended rigorous monitoring but also teaching boys how to communicate and express emotions. They needed active involvement in lessons, explicit targets to work towards and approachable teachers, the report said.

“In the most successful literacy activities, teachers took care to choose texts that interested the boys,” Ofsted said. “These tended to focus on action-packed narratives which emphasised sporting prowess, courageous activities in the face of danger and situations where characters had to overcome challenges.”

The report said schools that successfully raised the attainment of white boys from poor backgrounds shared features including developing boys' organisational skills, emphasising the importance of perseverance, a curriculum structured around individual needs and listening to pupils' views.

Emotional support was also important, with one school appointing teaching assistants who kept a “mood watch” on the most vulnerable pupils.

Another school had success with boys after asking a group that was being rewarded with cakes for doing well why it was predominantly made up of girls.

One girl said: “It's not that boys are not clever. They mostly are, but they need quick results. You just have to be showing them the cakes.”

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