Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department are taking to encourage schools to increase the number of pupils admitted on pupil premiums.

Admission arrangements are set and applied locally. Provided they are lawful and comply with the School Admissions Code, it is for the school’s admission authority to decide what admissions criteria to set, and how they are applied.

In 2014, the Code was revised to allow school admissions authorities to choose to prioritise children in receipt of pupil premium in their admissions oversubscription criteria. The Department published guidance for schools on how they can best use this criterion.

The recent School’s White Paper, ‘Opportunity for All’, made clear that trusts, as admission authorities, will be expected to act inclusively, providing the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children with the opportunity to attend the best schools.