Since Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Justine Greening as Education Secretary there has been a series of leaks and nods to the return of the grammar school system during press interviews. In an interview on the Andrew Marr BBC television show Ms Greening suggested that she could be “open-minded” about future expansion of the selective school system.But, this week, a senior civil servant has been photographed on the steps of Number 10 holding government papers that outline proposals for a consultation document on the expansion of existing grammar schools. It has also been reported that Theresa May, herself a former grammar school pupil, has lent her support to the return of academic selection. During a meeting of the 1922 Committee she reportedly said, "We already have selection, haven't we? It's called selection by house price."This has triggered a debate in parliament forcing the Education Secretary to offer more detail on government plans for academic selection.

What is a grammar school?

Grammar schools are government-funded secondary schools and the only state schools in England that are allowed to select all their pupils based on academic ability.The system was phased out in the 1970s and was eventually replaced by a system of comprehensive schools, which admitted pupils of all abilities. Most grammar schools became either comprehensive schools or were converted into private schools, but some were allowed to maintain their status and still exist today – around 160 in England.In 1998 Tony Blair’s government introduced restrictions on the creation of any new grammar schools. There have been no new grammar schools for more than 50 years, but this is set to change, as plans to extend one of Kent’s grammar schools by means of an annexe in a town nine miles away received government approval in 2015.

The Grammar School debate

The perennially controversial subject of grammar school education has dogged successive governments with MPs on both sides of the House of Commons believing the selective school system to be unnecessarily divisive or that it helps bright children from all socio-economic backgrounds gain an academic advantage.The government leak has prompted an urgent scheduled question from the opposition in the House of Commons this week, shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner who asked Justine Greening when the government’s plans would be available for the, “scrutiny that it so badly needs.”Seeking to reassure the House, Ms Greening explained that the government is, “committed to building a country that is not just for the privileged few, but for everyone. There will be no return to the simplistic, binary past,” she said. “But we can’t rule anything out. We need to leave no stone unturned when it comes to developing a truly 21st century school system.”“We need to find a practical way to improve attainment,” said Ms Greening, “and we must not put politics and dogma before pupil opportunity.”A government spokesperson has said,  "We are looking at a range of options to allow more children to access a school that lets them rise as far as their talents will take them."Policies on education will be set out in due course, and it would be inappropriate to comment further on internal government documents."

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