Theresa May’s grammar school revolution starts today

Theresa May made it clear when she became Prime Minister that she wanted to be defined by more than just Brexit. With the launch of her Government’s policy on grammar schools this morning, today is the day she puts her money where her mouth is. After snippets of detail slowly saw the light of day this week, Theresa May’s plans for selective schools are appearing to be much more radical and dramatic than many will have imagined. As well as the opening of new grammar schools, the PM will say that hundreds of comprehensive schools will be allowed to convert to a system of selecting their intake (so long as they pick a certain number from poorer backgrounds). What’s more, she’ll also pledge that current rules allowing faith schools to choose only half their pupils based on ability will be relaxed. As the Times points out, these reforms ‘would mark the biggest change to the English education system since the late 1960s’.