Selective Comprehensives 2026
24 March 2026
This briefing report, commissioned by the Sutton Trust, provides an update on social selectivity in England’s top performing comprehensive schools. It assesses whether top performing comprehensives are representative of their local areas in terms of the socio-economic background of their pupils. This report is the first Selective Comprehensives report to also consider whether there is social selection in special educational needs and disability (SEND) representation.
The Sutton Trust has produced its own summary report drawing out highlights from our report and setting out their recommendations.
Key Findings
- The 500 top performing comprehensives in England have lower rates of pupils who are eligible for free school meals in their intakes compared to all schools nationally and their catchment areas. As compared to the top 500 comprehensive schools in 2021/22, these gaps appear to have widened.
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) rates are largely comparable between top comprehensive schools and all secondary schools. They are also similar between top comprehensives and their catchment areas. This suggests that pupils with EHCPs are no less likely to attend a top performing school.
- However, EHCP representation in top comprehensive schools differs by pupil disadvantage. Our analysis suggests that, compared to their catchments and all secondary comprehensives, top comprehensive schools have a slight over-representation of non-disadvantaged pupils with EHCPs but under-representation of disadvantaged pupils with EHCPs.
- In addition, top performing comprehensives have lower rates of pupils receiving SEN Support relative to their catchments, as compared to all comprehensive schools.
- Disadvantaged pupils with SEND are among the lowest achieving (in terms of both attainment and progress) in the school system.
Related Titles
Selective Comprehensives 2024: The social composition of top comprehensive schools