Silent exclusion, when children register and attend school but learn little, is a critical feature of educational access in South Africa. Several international studies (e.g. TIMMS, SACMEQ) have shown that despite high levels of investment, South African schools perform poorly in relation to other countries at similar levels of income. Equitable access is yet to be achieved with wide variations in the quality of access between sub‐populations. This paper focuses on levels of learning achievement and comparisons between grades, schools, and populations of children in the Western Cape. Since outcome data is available over time changes can be followed and equitable access explored.