Northern schools '˜slipping even further behind south'

Sir Michael warned there is a “growing divide” in the performance of secondary schools in the North compared to the south.

He said the North was being “neglected, with serious consequences for the future”.

His comments come less than a week after prime minister Theresa May made the opening of new grammar schools her flagship education policy.

Sir Michael said: “We’ve made great progress on our state system, both in primary and in secondary, but the big challenge now is to do something about the regional variations which are dragging us down.

“That’s the big challenge for Government. Not get involved with grammar schools. Focus on those parts of the country which are languishing.”

Sir Michael was speaking at a conference on the ‘northern powerhouse’ at Huddersfield University organised by Barry Sherman MP.

The OECD also cast doubt today on the Prime Minister’s claim that new grammar schools would aid social mobility with the think tank’s education director suggesting “in most European systems is that academic selection becomes social selection”.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: ““The OECDs comments on grammar schools are a hammer blow to Theresa May’s half-baked plan. It is time to make a U-turn.

“She should rest assured that there will be no triumphalism from me and my party, but a sigh of relief from teachers, parents and headteachers that we will not see a damaging restructure of our schools”