Some people believe that primary socialisation is a huge factor where children learn norms and values that shape their beliefs and concept of what is right and wrong. Functionalist Parsons would argue that the education system is a focal socialising agency where children need to learn a new way of living if they are to cope with the wider world. If they aren't socialised properly then this will negatively impact their educational achievement.

Labelling is also another factor that can cause social class differences in the education system. To label someone is to attach a name to someone. Interactionist Howard Becker would argue that teachers would often label students on stereotyped assumptions based on their class. Therefore working class pupils would often be labelled negatively while middle class children were labelled positively. Becker would argue that when children are labelled, a self fulfilling prophecy will occur which is an explanation of why working class students can sometimes not achieve much as they live up to their negative labels.

Pupil subcultures could also be another factor which impacts on social class differences in education achievement. Lacey would argue that pro-school sub cultures would usually be common for middle class students as they enjoyed and tended to be committed to school. However the anti-school subculture was usually found with working pupils who rejected schools and turned to other things. Paul Willis would argue in favour of this as he would say working class lads were in the anti-school subculture as they knew that the education would fail them, so they showed signs of fatalism and accepted that they would never be successful, especially from the education system. Barry sugarman would further argue that these working class lads would then want immediate gratification, so they looked for jobs as a means to get by and make