The Education Secretary, Justine Greening, says she wants England's schools, including a new generation of grammars, to do more to help "ordinary working families".

However Georgina Newton, from the University's Centre for Professional Education argues that an incrase in grammar schools isn't the answer.

"Using grammar schools as a method of tackling social mobility is unwieldy and not backed up by evidence.

"At a time when schools are facing unprecedented budget cuts, policies which award money to the most selective schools are divisive and damaging.

"Rather than looking at a small tranche of students and tweaking provision available to them, the Secretary of State would be better advised to tackle the twin issues of diminishing school budgets and shortage of teachers head on."

Georgina Newton, Principal Teaching Fellow, Centre for Professional Education

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