Two-fifths of all new complaints to the schools admissions watchdog are about grammar schools, according to the latest figures released today.

The Office of the Schools Adjudicator annual report published today highlights that, of the 140 objections about school admissions arrangements received in 2018/19, a total of 58 - or 41 per cent - concerned 36 grammar schools.

Chief adjudicator Shan Scott said: “Some of these objections were to arrangements that had sought to increase access to grammar schools for disadvantaged pupils (for example by the introduction of catchment areas with priority for pupils entitled to the pupil premium who lived in that area to replace rank score ordering).

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“Other objections were made to the arrangements for other grammar schools on the basis that they did not do enough to allow access to disadvantaged pupils.”

She added: “I recognise that many people hold strong views about grammar schools and we receive objections from those who support selective education and from those who oppose it.”