‘Hyper-selective grammars do not reflect London’s social mix’

Grammar schools have become “hyper-selective” and do not reflect the social make-up of London, an MP warned today.

There are so few selective state schools in the capital that they are massively oversubscribed and can only cater for the top one or two per cent of bright children, Conservative Graham Brady said.

Mr Brady, a staunch defender of grammars, said more should be set up to help boost results for bright children from poorer backgrounds. Speaking at a conference of private school head teachers in Belfast, Mr Brady said grammar schools in Trafford take more than 30 per cent of the top pupils, while in London only the brightest one or two per cent win a place.

There are 164 grammar schools in England and 19 in London, mainly located in Sutton, Bexley, Barnet and Kingston. Mr Brady, MP for Altrincham and Sale West, said: “The more grammar schools we have the less likely we are to force them into being hyper-selective. It’s going to be harder to get a truly socially representative sample if you become hyper-selective. They will be drawing more and more people from prep schools, not the state primary sector. We need more grammar schools.”

He added that 76 per cent of parents want to see more grammar schools opening, but no political party will commit to this. He added: “All the major political parties say they believe in parental choice ... It is an odd thing that all the political parties are so determined to resist doing something that would be so popular.

“In huge parts of the UK parents are in despair. They look at what’s available to them in their local state schools and are shocked at what they are being asked to put up with.”

But Professor David Jesson, from the department of economics at the University of York, said just 2.5 per cent of grammar school pupils are on free school meals, whereas in state schools eight per cent of the brightest children are on free school meals.

He said: “Selection is not working in the state system. There is an advantage to those who are selected but a disadvantage to those not selected.”

Private schools should not spend time worrying that their pupils are missing out on top university places, the head of Ucas said.

Mary Curnock Cook, in charge of the organisation which manages applications for higher education courses, dismissed claims that private school students were being overlooked by leading universities in favour of state pupils.