A photograph taken accidently of an internal memo further confirms the government’s plans to open more grammar schools despite Labour and teaching unions being opposed to the plans. Written by Jonathan Slater, the DfE’s recently appointed permanent secretary, the memo proposes expanding current grammars although with the provision that they would have to “follow various conditions”.  

The memo reads: “The con doc [consultation document] says we will open new grammars, albeit that they would have to follow various conditions. “The SoS’s [secretary of state’s] clear position is that this should be presented in the con doc as an option, and only to be pursued once we have worked with existing grammars to show how they can be expanded and reformed in ways which avoid disadvantaging those who don’t get in. “I simply don’t know what the PM thinks of this but it sounds reasonable to me, and I simply can't see any way of persuading the Lords to vote for selection on any other basis.”  

Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, said the photograph had “let the cat out of the bag.” She argued that any expansion of grammar schools, which limit access to students who pass an academic exam at age 11, would be “regressive”. Liberal Democrat education spokesman John Pugh said: “It looks like a desperate plan to avoid parliamentary scrutiny and their inevitable defeat.” Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, added: "Theresa May said on the steps of Downing Street that she wanted 'a country that works for everyone'. "Yet now we hear of proposals to take education back to the 1950s, when children were segregated at age 11 and their life chances determined by the type of school they attended. "Opening new grammar schools would not only be a backward step but is also a complete distraction from the real problems facing schools and education. For every grammar school there are three or four 'secondary modern' schools."  

The Government refused to comment on the document but did not deny its contents. A spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been clear that we need to build a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.” "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."   Whether or not Mrs May’s the expansion plans will be selective or nationwide we know one thing, and that’s to ensure it favours pupils from deprived areas.  An official announcement is expected to be made in October on the controversial plans.