How grammar schools transform life chances

SIR – Grammar schools (Letters, May 17) boosted social mobility in my family.

My three cousins from the slums of Manchester all passed the 11-plus and went to Manchester Grammar School – which was then a direct-grant school – and on to university at Oxford and Harvard. One became a barrister.

I was born into a middle-class family but failed my 11-plus so went to a secondary modern school. However, I was encouraged to take A-levels and later read engineering at the University of London. I took my opportunities, albeit later, and fully support the grammar system and its outcomes. Tony Manning

Barton on Sea, Hampshire sir – While I am not against grammar schools, Jeremy Collis (Letters, May 17) makes it sound as though entry is a matter of choice. Most grammars select on academic performance, often through one pass-or-fail test.

My parents would have chosen the nearest grammar over the secondary modern I attended, but I did not get in. My school did not offer O-levels, but I was rescued by the introduction of the comprehensive system, which helped me to achieve good A-levels and led to a degree at Imperial College. If new grammar schools are introduced, non-grammars must also be improved. David Pelham

Surbiton, Surrey