The department is working closely with the Thinking Schools Academy Trust to remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete at Holcombe Grammar School, formerly Chatham Grammar School for Boys.

The Trust confirmed in May that the first phase of works has been completed. Proposals for a second, more complex area have been submitted and will proceed shortly.

Departmental officials continue to support the Trust to progress the project as quickly as possible whilst minimising disruption to education.

Schools are not permitted to charge parents for their children’s admission or education. This includes charges for children to sit a school’s entrance test. However, they can charge for optional extras such as familiarisation tests.

The department and the Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA) entered into a memorandum of understanding in 2018, which runs until 2027, through which the GSHA agreed to work with its members to increase access for disadvantaged children.

Some local authorities and schools provide free test familiarisation materials for all children, including for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Schools are not permitted to charge parents for their children’s admission or education. This includes charges for children to sit a school’s entrance test. However, they can charge for optional extras such as familiarisation tests.

The department and the Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA) entered into a memorandum of understanding in 2018, which runs until 2027, through which the GSHA agreed to work with its members to increase access for disadvantaged children.

Some local authorities and schools provide free test familiarisation materials for all children, including for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

I refer the hon. member for Romford to the answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52218.

The national funding formula, and wider education policies, support all state-funded schools equally, including grammar schools.

There are no grammar schools in the Parliamentary constituency of Romford and the law prohibits new ones from opening. The department no plans to change this.

The national funding formula, and wider education policies, support all state-funded schools equally, including grammar schools.

There are no grammar schools in the Parliamentary constituency of Romford and the law prohibits new ones from opening. The department no plans to change this.

The national funding formula, and wider education policies, support all state-funded schools equally, including grammar schools.

To ensure parity with English state boarding schools, the UK Government has provided financial support to voluntary grammar schools in Northern Ireland providing an equivalent service to state run boarding in England, but for whom it was not possible to legislate for a carve-out from the VAT charge. This will ensure pupils boarding at these schools are on the same footing as those attending English boarding schools.

The admission authorities for grammar schools set their schools’ selection criteria. This government’s priority is ensuring high and rising standards across every school to secure a brilliant education for every child.

There are 163 grammar schools in England that are located across 35 local authority areas. The government does not plan to allow any new grammar schools to open nor to legislate to remove the right of existing grammar schools to select by ability.

The government has no plans to change the law that prohibits the creation of more grammar schools.

The department is committed to creating opportunities for all children to give them the best life chances. This government if focused on ensuring every child has access to excellent local schools that deliver high standards for all their pupils so that they achieve and thrive.

I have four grammar schools in my constituency, which provide an important and very popular element of a diverse education system. Therefore, will the Minister please commit today to continue her support of grammar schools, both now and in the future?

I support all great schools in our diverse school system, including strong grammar schools. I continue to encourage grammar schools to increase access for disadvantaged pupils, which can help so much with social mobility.

The Government has no plans to open more grammar schools. The Department’s priority is to concentrate on ensuring that as many pupils as possible, whatever their ability, have access to an outstanding education. Setting and streaming of pupils is common practice in secondary schools and enables teachers to tailor lessons to suit pupils of similar abilities and ensures that the highest ability pupils are offered additional stretch.

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) supports a small number of expansion projects. Eligible grammar schools can apply for CIF funding in an annual bidding round

The below table shows the average Attainment 8 and Progress 8 data for non-selective and selective secondary schools in the 2021/22 academic year. It does not take account of the differences in pupil abilities or characteristics, for example free school meal eligibility, between selective and non-selective schools.

A wide range of published research looks at the effect of grammar schools on social mobility. Grammar schools offer benefits to those children that attend them. Research shows that, in some areas with lots of selective schools, the attainment of pupils at local non-selective schools is negatively affected relative to their peers in areas with no selective schools. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

The Department is currently looking at renewing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department and the Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA), which sets out the commitment of GSHA members to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils on roll. Alongside the MoU, the 22 grammar schools that previously received funding through the Selective Schools Expansion Fund (SSEF) all prioritise pupil premium children for admission and undertake outreach work to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils on roll. The Department is evaluating delivery of their Fair Access and Partnership Plans over a five-year period. Between 2018/19 and 2021/22, the percentage of pupils eligible for pupil premium attending SSEF schools has increased from 7.2% to 8.6%.

[1] Andrews et al., 2016, EPI, “Grammar schools and social mobility”: https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/grammar-schools-social-mobility/.

[2] Atkinson et al., 2006, "The result of 11+ Selection: An Investigation into Opportunities and Outcomes for Pupils in Selective LEAs": https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4798623_The_Result_of_11_Plus_Selection_An_Investigation_into_Opportunities_and_Outcomes_for_Pupils_in_Selective_LEAs.

[3] Gorard and Siddiqui, 2016, "Grammar schools in England: a new approach to analysing their intakes and outcomes": https://dro.dur.ac.uk/20400/.

[4] Burgess et al., 2018, "Assessing the role of grammar schools in promoting social mobility": http://repec.ioe.ac.uk/REPEc/pdf/qsswp1709.pdf.

[5] Cribb et al., 2013, "Entry into Grammar Schools in England": https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poorgrammarreport-2.pdf.

The Government has no plans to open more grammar schools. The Department’s priority is to concentrate on ensuring that as many pupils as possible, whatever their ability, have access to an outstanding education. Setting and streaming of pupils is common practice in secondary schools and enables teachers to tailor lessons to suit pupils of similar abilities and ensures that the highest ability pupils are offered additional stretch.

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) supports a small number of expansion projects. Eligible grammar schools can apply for CIF funding in an annual bidding round

The below table shows the average Attainment 8 and Progress 8 data for non-selective and selective secondary schools in the 2021/22 academic year. It does not take account of the differences in pupil abilities or characteristics, for example free school meal eligibility, between selective and non-selective schools.

A wide range of published research looks at the effect of grammar schools on social mobility. Grammar schools offer benefits to those children that attend them. Research shows that, in some areas with lots of selective schools, the attainment of pupils at local non-selective schools is negatively affected relative to their peers in areas with no selective schools. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

The Department is currently looking at renewing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department and the Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA), which sets out the commitment of GSHA members to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils on roll. Alongside the MoU, the 22 grammar schools that previously received funding through the Selective Schools Expansion Fund (SSEF) all prioritise pupil premium children for admission and undertake outreach work to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils on roll. The Department is evaluating delivery of their Fair Access and Partnership Plans over a five-year period. Between 2018/19 and 2021/22, the percentage of pupils eligible for pupil premium attending SSEF schools has increased from 7.2% to 8.6%.

[1] Andrews et al., 2016, EPI, “Grammar schools and social mobility”: https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/grammar-schools-social-mobility/.

[2] Atkinson et al., 2006, "The result of 11+ Selection: An Investigation into Opportunities and Outcomes for Pupils in Selective LEAs": https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4798623_The_Result_of_11_Plus_Selection_An_Investigation_into_Opportunities_and_Outcomes_for_Pupils_in_Selective_LEAs.

[3] Gorard and Siddiqui, 2016, "Grammar schools in England: a new approach to analysing their intakes and outcomes": https://dro.dur.ac.uk/20400/.

[4] Burgess et al., 2018, "Assessing the role of grammar schools in promoting social mobility": http://repec.ioe.ac.uk/REPEc/pdf/qsswp1709.pdf.

[5] Cribb et al., 2013, "Entry into Grammar Schools in England": https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poorgrammarreport-2.pdf.

The Government has no plans to open more grammar schools. The Department’s priority is to concentrate on ensuring that as many pupils as possible, whatever their ability, have access to an outstanding education. Setting and streaming of pupils is common practice in secondary schools and enables teachers to tailor lessons to suit pupils of similar abilities and ensures that the highest ability pupils are offered additional stretch.

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) supports a small number of expansion projects. Eligible grammar schools can apply for CIF funding in an annual bidding round

The below table shows the average Attainment 8 and Progress 8 data for non-selective and selective secondary schools in the 2021/22 academic year. It does not take account of the differences in pupil abilities or characteristics, for example free school meal eligibility, between selective and non-selective schools.

A wide range of published research looks at the effect of grammar schools on social mobility. Grammar schools offer benefits to those children that attend them. Research shows that, in some areas with lots of selective schools, the attainment of pupils at local non-selective schools is negatively affected relative to their peers in areas with no selective schools. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

The Department is currently looking at renewing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department and the Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA), which sets out the commitment of GSHA members to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils on roll. Alongside the MoU, the 22 grammar schools that previously received funding through the Selective Schools Expansion Fund (SSEF) all prioritise pupil premium children for admission and undertake outreach work to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils on roll. The Department is evaluating delivery of their Fair Access and Partnership Plans over a five-year period. Between 2018/19 and 2021/22, the percentage of pupils eligible for pupil premium attending SSEF schools has increased from 7.2% to 8.6%.

[1] Andrews et al., 2016, EPI, “Grammar schools and social mobility”: https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/grammar-schools-social-mobility/.

[2] Atkinson et al., 2006, "The result of 11+ Selection: An Investigation into Opportunities and Outcomes for Pupils in Selective LEAs": https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4798623_The_Result_of_11_Plus_Selection_An_Investigation_into_Opportunities_and_Outcomes_for_Pupils_in_Selective_LEAs.

[3] Gorard and Siddiqui, 2016, "Grammar schools in England: a new approach to analysing their intakes and outcomes": https://dro.dur.ac.uk/20400/.

[4] Burgess et al., 2018, "Assessing the role of grammar schools in promoting social mobility": http://repec.ioe.ac.uk/REPEc/pdf/qsswp1709.pdf.

[5] Cribb et al., 2013, "Entry into Grammar Schools in England": https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/poorgrammarreport-2.pdf.

Grammar schools are the only state-funded schools permitted to select all their children by high general academic ability. There are 163 grammar schools, all of which were maintained schools in 1998 and designated as grammar schools by the Education (Grammar School Designation) Order 1998 (as amended in 1999).

143 of these schools have subsequently become academy schools and are permitted to continue to select by academic ability through provisions within the Academies Act 2010 and their funding agreements.

Of the 20 maintained grammar schools, 7 are community schools, 6 are voluntary aided schools, 6 are foundation schools and 1 is a voluntary controlled school.

In addition, a number of state-funded schools were permitted to retain partial selection by academic ability or aptitude by provisions within the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. 40 of these schools remain partially selective.

32 of them are academies and are permitted to continue to select through the aforementioned legal and funding agreement mechanisms. 8 are maintained schools, and of these 4 are foundation schools, 3 are voluntary aided schools and 1 is a community school. 31 of these partially selective schools select a proportion of their intakes by general academic ability, 2 select by ability in music, 1 by ability in technology, and 1 by ability in maths. The remaining 5 select a proportion of their intakes by aptitude[1].

[1] Either a form of aptitude that would not otherwise be permitted or more than 10% by aptitude.

The department does not collect data on which schools, permitted by law, select pupils by aptitude or ability via a written test.

Selection tests can lawfully form part of any selective school’s admission arrangements. The School Admissions Code requires tests to ‘be clear, objective, and [to] give an accurate reflection of the child’s ability or aptitude, irrespective of sex, race, or disability’, but it does not require them to be independently moderated. The School Admissions Code can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2.

In many cases, tests will be purchased from commercial providers and will be marked by them, although that is not a legal requirement.