MOST secondary schools in England do not prioritise poorer children in their admissions policies, a study found today.

Some families are “priced out” of oversubscribed schools due to higher property prices around the school as local pupils are often given priority, according to research by the University of Bristol.

Only a small minority of secondary schools prioritise pupils eligible for Pupil Premium support, which is linked to free school meals and used as a measure of disadvantage, when they are oversubscribed, the analysis has found.