
The report found that on average disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for free school meals are less likely to attend a top performing comprehensive even if they live nearby.
This trend has worsened over the last seven years due to the increase in the number of academies, which have more control over their admissions, the report by the Sutton Trust found.
On average grammar schools accept 9.2 percentage points fewer free school meals pupils than live in their catchment area.
But 155 comprehensives had gaps of this figure or higher.
The top 500 comprehensive schools by attainment in England were looked at for the research, which found they took 40 per cent fewer pupils eligible for free school meals than the average comprehensive.
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