Kent study: 40% of free-meal pupils sit the 11+ versus 67% of peers; opt-out lifts their share to 12%
Disadvantaged pupils in Kent sit and pass grammar school entrance tests less often than peers with similar attainment; an opt-out system raises their share only from 7.8% to 12%.
Researchers from Durham University, UCL, Zhejiang University and St Paul's School analysed population-level data from Kent, England, where grammar schools are concentrated. They found that disadvantaged pupils are less likely than peers with similar attainment to sit and pass entrance tests for selective schools. The study was published on 11 November 2026 in the British Journal of Sociology of Education. tandfonline.com
British Journal of Sociology of Educationtandfonline.comOpen source ↗ The authors are Binwei Lu, Jake Anders, Xin Shao and Joanne Bartley. They examined two stages of selection: whether a pupil sits the 11+ test, and whether the pupil then passes it.
Who sits and who passes the 11+
According to the data, 67% of pupils not eligible for free school meals (FSM) took a test, compared with 40% of pupils who were eligible. The difference is not explained by attainment alone. Among pupils with high Key Stage 2 SATs scores, 84% of non-FSM pupils sat the 11+, against 56% of FSM pupils.
Disadvantaged pupils who did sit the exam were also less likely to pass than more advantaged pupils with similar attainment. The authors report that this gap becomes more evident at higher levels of national test performance. Lead author Binwei Lu said that barriers of awareness, confidence and school encouragement seem to discourage less advantaged families from registering their children for the tests. The authors conclude that families may be reluctant or may find it difficult to engage with the application process.
What an opt-out system changes
To test whether representation would rise if all pupils sat the 11+, the researchers ran a simulation. Replacing the current opt-in process with an opt-out system would raise the proportion of disadvantaged pupils in selective schools from 7.8% to 12%. tandfonline.com
British Journal of Sociology of Educationtandfonline.comOpen source ↗ The authors describe this effect as small. They add that giving disadvantaged pupils extra marks would also deliver only a small boost.
The researchers conclude that test-taking behaviour is not a major driver of the shortfall. They say that revising selection rules remains important while selective schooling is retained. Instead of offering recommendations for improving access, the authors say their findings call into question the fairness of early-age selective systems as a whole.
The authors note a limitation: the study uses local-authority-level data, so the findings may not generalise fully to areas with different admissions practices, catchment patterns or levels of competition. They call for further research in other selective areas of England and for international comparisons with countries that use early-age academic selection.
