It has been reported that ministers are considering plans to allow some schools in England to change their admissions procedures to give consideration to children from poorer families alongside other factors such as where the family lives.
But teaching unions have said simply encouraging schools to prioritise children from deprived backgrounds is not enough. Martin Johnson, deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "There is a lot of difference between allowing and requiring popular schools to give preference to children receiving free school meals. Making schools favour poorer children would revolutionise school intakes, but if schools are left to make their own choices few would give preference to disadvantaged pupils because, on the whole, educating them is much more demanding as many need far more help and resources."
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