Demand for grammars 50% higher than available places

DEMAND for grammar school places is almost 50 per cent higher than the number available, offical figures show.

There were 37,786 first-preference requests for places at the country’s 163 grammar schools for entry this year, compared to 25,827 places available – an excess in demand of 11,959, according to the Department for Education.

This is 46 per cent more first preferences than the number of places available and the highest since 2015, the first official data for demand for grammar school places shows.

It means that for every 15 pupils with a grammar school as their first preference, around ten places are on offer.

Between 2017 and 2019, the number of first preferences for grammar schools increased by 7.3 per cent but the number of places rose by only 3.2 per cent.

Compared with non-selective schools, the first preferences for grammar schools is 49 per cent greater and the demand-supply ratio is higher even when the non-selective school is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

The DfE yesterday revealed the six schools awarded a share of £14.3million to create more than 1,100 selective school places. They must also work with neighbouring schools to share expertise and improve opportunities for pupils.

They are King Edward VI Handsworth School, Birmingham; Ribston Hall High School, Gloucestershire; Haberdashers’ Adams, Telford and Wrekin; Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Trafford; and Stretford Grammar School, Trafford.