Why has £50m funding failed to help grammar schools attract poor children?

Analysis: Schemes to diversify did not see meaningful changes in applications this year, writes Eleanor Busby

It will take more than a ‘pledge’ to overhaul a system that favours privilege (Rex)

The grammar schools that remain in England have been widely viewed as bastions of privilege. These selective schools predominantly serve middle-class families who can afford tutoring, critics say.

A row about academic selection and social mobility has dominated education ever since Theresa May announced plans to open more grammar schools when she became prime minister in 2016.

Despite evidence to suggest the existing 163 selective state schools lack diverse intakes – around 2.6 per cent of grammar school pupils are on free school meals, compared to 14.1 per cent across all school types – the government still controversially awarded £50m to these schools to widen access.