High-achieving disadvantaged students are far less likely to take and pass entrance exams for selective schools

A study of pupils in Kent, England, found that high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds are much less likely to take and pass selective-school entrance exams than similarly attaining peers. Researchers reported that 40% of pupils eligible for free school meals took the test, compared with 67% of more advantaged students. The study, published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education, also found that an opt-out testing system would make only a small difference.