The general public are split on whether the government should expand grammar school numbers, with slightly more than half (53 per cent) in favour of the Conservatives’ manifesto pledge.
The research, from National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), comes on the morning that the Tories’ plans to expand selection are expected to be left out of the Queen’s Speech.
Plans to allow new faith schools to select all of their pupils on the basis of their faith and force private schools to do more to help underprivileged children are also reported to have been abandoned.
But ministers are likely to put the focus on social mobility following Saturday’s announcement from Downing Street that the government would address “deep-rooted inequalities in our society in order to give everyone the opportunities they deserve”.
‘The public is split’
Over the past year, education experts have argued that selection does not improve social mobility - and pupils who are eligible for free school meals are under-represented in existing selective schools.
But today’s survey of 2,176 adults in England and Wales found that the majority believe grammar schools level the playing field for children from disadvantaged backgrounds either some (54 per cent of respondents) or all (13 per cent) of the time.
And the majority of the public are optimistic about the chances of a bright child from a disadvantaged background getting into a grammar school, with 45 per cent thinking there was some chance and 18 per cent believing there was a high chance.
Dr Emily Tanner, head of children, families and work at NatCen, said: “The public is split on whether to expand grammar schools.
“Support for grammars seems to be linked to the view that they level the playing field between richer and poorer pupils, but the evidence does not support this view.”
She added: “If the government wants to give the public the kinds of schools they want, grammar school expansion may not be the best place to focus.”
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