# Grammar Schools and Selective Education: What the Evidence Shows

> Grammar schools are among the most debated topics in UK education policy. Here is what the evidence shows about their effects on pupils who pass — and those who do not.

*Section: Education — By Liam Chen (World Affairs Reporter) — Published November 17, 2025 — 1 min read*

Canonical URL: https://dailyjunction.co.uk/education/school-choice-grammar-schools-selective-education
Tags: grammar schools, selective education, uk education, 11 plus, social mobility

## Key takeaways

- England has 163 grammar schools, concentrated in specific local authority areas
- Grammar school pupils achieve better academic outcomes, but this appears largely explained by selection effects
- Pupils who narrowly fail the 11+ perform worse academically than those in mixed schools
- Grammar school areas do not show better overall educational outcomes or social mobility than non-selective areas

## The current landscape

There are approximately 163 grammar schools in England — selective state schools that admit pupils based on the 11+ examination. They are concentrated in particular local authority areas, including Kent, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Lincolnshire. No new grammar schools have been opened since 1998, though several existing ones have expanded.

## The selection effect

Grammar school pupils do indeed achieve better academic outcomes than comparable pupils in non-selective comprehensives. The key question is why. Research suggests this is primarily a selection effect: grammar schools select more able, more advantaged pupils (whose parents are better placed to prepare them for the 11+), and those pupils would likely perform well in any school context.

## What happens to those who fail

The evidence on pupils who narrowly fail the 11+ is concerning. Research by the Education Policy Institute found that selective areas have worse outcomes for pupils of below-average prior attainment than non-selective areas — the implied conclusion being that concentration of higher-ability pupils in grammars creates secondary schools with more challenging peer groups for the remaining pupils.

## Social mobility and selective education

One of the most frequently cited justifications for grammar schools is social mobility — the idea that bright children from disadvantaged backgrounds get a pathway to elite universities. The evidence does not consistently support this: grammar schools significantly over-represent children from more affluent families (middle-class parents are better able to prepare their children for the 11+ and are more geographically mobile to live in catchment areas), and selective areas do not show better overall social mobility outcomes than non-selective areas.

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## Sources

- [TES](https://www.tes.com)
- [NFER](https://www.nfer.ac.uk)

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