The Catholic Education Service (CES) says just under a fifth of all pupils in Catholic statutory education meets the highest national deprivation criteria, compared to a 12.8 percent England average.

Similarly, the CES says a quarter fewer pupils from the more affluent areas attend Catholic schools.

"The number of Catholic school pupils on free school meals is marginally lower than the national average, as many parents are ineligible due to immigration status or low-paid employment, with barriers to take-up including the complexity of applications and financial privacy concerns," the CES says.

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