Some comprehensive schools ‘more socially selective than grammars’

Sutton Trust's study reveals that top comprehensive schools in England are less accessible for disadvantaged students than their counterparts, prompting calls for a revision of the admissions code to enhance opportunities for poorer students.

Despite comprehensives being non-selective by design, over 150 of such schools exhibit higher social selectivity than the average grammar school, favoring less economically challenged students despite a local presence.

The report, "Selective Comprehensives 2024," covering data from 2019 to 2022, indicates the issue has persisted or worsened since 2016. It focuses on the top 500 comprehensive schools based on pupil progress and GCSE scores, revealing a lower representation of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) than the overall population in their catchment areas.

Notably, the north east stands out for its high levels of social selection among top comprehensives, while faith schools, particularly Catholic institutions, are identified as the most socially exclusive.

The report underscores little change in social selectivity in comprehensives and posits that the shift to academy status, which grants autonomy over admissions, may be a contributing factor.

The Sutton Trust advocates for admissions code reform to reflect the demographics of local communities better and calls for additional funds and support to improve education quality in deprived areas.

Meanwhile, the Department for Education maintains that the existing admissions code is fair and allows for priority to be given to FSM-eligible children as needed.