New grammars will favour only the few, says Church

Government plans to create hundreds more schools criticised for focusing on a minority

THE Church of England has rejected the Government’s plans to create hundreds of new grammar schools. The Church – the largest single provider of schools in England, responsible for more than 4,700 schools across the country – has turned against formation of the new schools on the grounds that they cater only to a select group of “high achievers”.

The announcement follows a decision at the General Synod last year which concluded that the Church should move away from selection towards schools that serve the “whole community” claiming that it will build schools for “the many, not just the few”.

The Church said it would proceed with plans to create 125 more inclusive schools, which it hopes will help remedy an “increasingly fragmented educational scene”.

The stance represents a break with more than 200 years of tradition, with the Church originally presiding over the creation of many of the English grammars established during the 19th century.

It follows efforts by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, to move away from quotas and faith-based entry tests, which he has claimed are “not necessary” for the purposes of creating a “really good school”.

The decision will come as a blow to Theresa May, the daughter of an Anglican vicar, who last year announced plans to build hundreds of new selective schools across England.

Announcing the plans last year, Mrs May said that new grammars would narrow the attainment gap and increase choice in a “diverse school system” – a move that now appears to clash with the views of Church leaders.

Dismissing the plans outright, the clerical authorities said yesterday that the decision had been taken on a “theological basis”, adding that all children should be treated as though they are “equally important”.

Nigel Genders, the Church’s chief education officer, said that it had been “very clear” on its position, adding that its focus was on children of all backgrounds, “irrespective of whether they’ve got high academic ability or not”.

A spokesman added: “Our vision for education is for the whole community.”

However, the decision has been criticised by some Conservative MPs, who claimed that the Church had overlooked the role that new grammars would play in improving social mobility and raising children’s attainment.

Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, said: “Grammar schools are there as a springboard for everyone to fulfil their potential – isn’t that what education is about?”

A DfE spokesman said that while it valued the Church’s “commitment to running excellent schools”, evidence clearly showed that selective schools had a “positive impact” on pupils from deprived backgrounds.