Commenting on the OECD Education At A Glance report findings on social segregation in the UK, Sutton Trust chair Sir Peter Lampl said today:

“These findings bear out recent Sutton Trust research. The best schools, including the best comprehensives, have less than 6% of their pupils drawn from the poorest families, against a national average nearly three times greater. They are effectively closed to many poorer pupils because of the admissions rules that limit their intakes to their local neighbourhood or faith group. As the OECD notes, such segregation can make it harder for poorer pupils to achieve their potential. We need greater use of ballots and banding so that schools and academies recruit from a wider area in order to reduce such social segregation.”