'˜MK needs a grammar school', say the Tories

The Citizen can exclusively reveal plans to create a city satellite for students who cannot afford to travel out of MK to a selective school.

Every year parents are spending a whopping £1million shipping 1,200 children over the border to four grammar schools in Aylesbury and Buckingham.

This week Conservative group leader Councillor Edith Bald pledged to give students “more opportunities” here in the city if her party takes full control of MK Council.

She said: “It’s incredibly important that parents and students have a range of choices in secondary education.

“Many families are struggling to afford the expensive travel costs to their grammar schools so it is vital that we address these issues and respond to parents’ wishes.”

The Radcliffe School in Wolverton was formerly a grammar school until it reverted back to state in 1969.

Since then the creation of new grammar schools has been banned – although existing schools are allowed to expand if there is sufficient demand.

The current leader of the Labour-led council condemned the Conservatives’ controversial plans which have emerged just seven weeks before the local elections.

Councillor Pete Marland admitted the standard of education in MK schools “is not good enough” – but said plans for a grammar school would be “at the expense of everyone”.

He said: “It is simply the wrong choice. We should be concentrating on improving all of our existing schools – not just the selective few.

“Every child deserves to go to a good school.”