Sutton Trust calls for a more inclusive schools policy

In a series of proposals submitted to the government ahead of its white paper on schools due in the autumn, the Sutton Trust has said: "There needs to be a series of checks, balances and incentives to ensure that the current reforms benefit all pupils, not just those from privileged homes."

Its proposals cover four interconnecting policy areas: admissions; the use of the new pupil premium; measures to hold schools to account; and the role of local authorities.

On admissions, the trust said an amendment to the schools admission code should give priority to low-income children in the same way that children in care are currently given preference.

Schools should also work harder to overcome the perception among poorer families that some schools are "not for the likes of them", and should automatically be signed up to a fair access package. This would be a condition of receiving the pupil premium.

To have an impact, the premium should be set at £3,000 per pupil, which is 50 per cent more than average funding. The premium should be allocated in relation to pupils who have been eligible for free school meals, and academies and free schools should declare how they intend to deploy the extra resources.

James Turner, director of projects and policy at the trust, said: "Under the current government we are moving away from a system of compulsion, so it is important that we develop a series of incentives and make the case for schools being more inclusive and reflecting the areas where they are located. As a recent Barnardo’s report indicated, that’s not always the case."