L

Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 8 June 2026

Debate

School Admissions: Selective Inclusion

Contribution

I thank my noble friend for that response. She mentioned the existing requirements on school admissions, but as the Sutton Trust report revealed, 36% fewer pupils with SEND from disadvantaged backgrounds are accepted in the higher-performing schools. The current rules are simply not doing the job that they are intended to do. That is often a double disadvantage for these children, because the Sutton Trust figures show that it is often children with SEND eligible for free school meals, rather than SEND pupils as a whole. As we await a consultation on a new School Admissions Code, does my noble friend agree that the rules need to be strengthened if the Government are to be able to achieve their aim of more SEND pupils being educated in mainstream schools?

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