School Admissions Policies - how do they influence social mobility? An evidence synthesis

The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) monitors progress towards improving social mobility in the UK and promotes social mobility in England. It is an independent statutory body.

The SMC was looking for a supplier who could fulfil the following invitation to tender:

The overall aim of this project is to establish a rapid evidence base around school admissions policies in the UK, and to provide a synthesis of strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, and to identify where there are gaps in the evidence.

This project should draw out examples of any specific differences between the UK and other countries, where the evidence indicates that relevant differences in outcomes exist.

Broad research questions are set out below. These questions are provided as a guide of what the Commission is interested in, but we also anticipate bidders will use their own expertise to inform the scope of these questions.

Questions for consideration:

1. What school admission policies exist in the UK, and what are their strengths and weaknesses? In particular, which policies seem to be particularly important with regard to social selection of pupils? 2. Where have lottery/ballot systems been used for admissions to schools in the UK and have they been successful in promoting social mobility? What international examples can we draw lessons from? 3. What might the impact be of mandating a change to school admissions policies which would result in more equal social mixes in schools, for example allocating via a lottery or via various quotas?Answers to this question should include consideration of the most frequent objections to lottery-based admissions, including higher transport costs and congestion, and the disruptive effect on house prices.