Commenting on the measures to be outlined in the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, Nick Harrison, Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, said:

“The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill has the potential to be a bold step forward towards the Government’s aim to break down barriers to opportunity. Free breakfast clubs in schools will help ensure children from poorer homes are not too hungry to learn. Giving local authorities more control over school admissions could, if strong enough, be transformational in making access to high performing schools fair for children from all backgrounds. Currently, our schools are highly socially segregated with children eligible for free school meals often concentrated in lower performing schools – driven in part by incentives in the inspection regime. It’s absolutely right that local government should oversee how schools serve their communities – this is a no brainer with the potential to help close the attainment gap as well as improve social cohesion across our communities.”