Ofsted boss: Grammars won’t help poor pupils

THE idea that poor children will benefit from the return of grammar schools is ‘tosh’ and ‘nonsense’, according to the outgoing head of Ofsted.

Sir Michael Wilshaw put himself on a collision course with Theresa May after he rubbished the Prime Minister’s plans to approve a fresh wave of selective schools.

She is set to give the go-ahead for about 20 new grammars in working class areas, admitting significant numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals.

But Sir Michael yesterday said the selective model would fail the poorest children. The former headteacher told delegates at the London Councils education conference: ‘If grammar schools are the great answer, why aren’t there more of them in London? If they are such a good thing for poor children, then why are poor

‘Why aren’t there more in London?’

children here in the capital doing so much better than their counterparts in those parts of the country that operate selection?’

Sir Michael, due to leave his post after five years this autumn, added: ‘The notion that the poor stand to benefit from the return of grammar schools strikes me as quite palpable tosh and nonsense.’

National Grammar Schools Association figures show England has 16 state-funded fully selective schools, while Northern Ireland has 69. The creation of new grammars was outlawed by Tony Blair’s administration. But reports last month suggested the PM was considering sanctioning up to two dozen new selective schools.

The Department for Education said that Education Secretary Justine Greening was ‘looking at the (grammar schools) issue’.