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Pupils from well-off backgrounds are more than 40% more likely to get a place at top secondary schools, a study has found.

Findings from research by the University of Bristol show around one in five (18%) pupils eligible for free school meals were enrolled at a highly effective school, compared to around a quarter (25%) of their peers from more affluent backgrounds.

Schools’ geographic admissions criteria are “effectively ruling out certain pupils” the study’s lead author said.

Researchers found the vast majority (88%) of secondary schools used geographical location such a

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