The findings of the analysis by Karen Wespieser and colleagues revealed that students with high prior achievement make less progress in math at partially selective schools than their peers at non-selective schools (up to five percentage points). Students with low prior achievement are less likely to achieve five A* to C GCSEs (GSCEs are high-stakes exams taken in a range of subjects by secondary school students in England), including English and math, than students at non-selective schools (up to eight percentage points). In addition, they find that admissions policies at some partially selective schools may act as a barrier to applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds.