The proportion of poorer pupils attending grammar schools has increased by less than 1 percentage point in four years, despite extra funding and an agreement with government aimed at making them more inclusive. Ministers even admitted some selective schools had seen a decline in inclusivity, and urged leaders 鈥渢o challenge themselves to do more鈥�. found just 7.9 per cent of children in England鈥檚 163 grammar schools in 2021-22 were eligible for pupil premium funding, up from 7.2 per cent in 2017-18. All schools need to challenge themselves to do more The report examines the impact of a memorandum of understanding between the DfE and Grammar School Heads鈥� Association (GSHA), in place between 2018 and 2022. The DfE said the 鈥渇act that the number of disadvantaged children at grammar schools remains low in the face of interventions to increase their numbers shows what a complex issue this is to resolve鈥�. Achieving inclusion would require 鈥渕ultiple interventions鈥�, they said, and 鈥渁ll schools, especially those which have made no progress or very little progress in admitting greater numbers of disadvantaged children, need to challenge themselves to do more鈥�. Dr Nuala Burgess Alongside the MoU covering 152 grammar schools, the DfE also handed 22 schools 拢64 million in expansion cash in exchange for efforts to boost inclusion. Dr Nuala Burgess, chair of campaign group Comprehensive Future, said the 0.7 per cent rise in four years was a 鈥渟hocking figure鈥�. 鈥淕rammar school heads should be ashamed. They make a very big deal about their schools being a force for social mobility. They are nothing of the sort. It looks like business as usual.鈥� Schools prioritise poorer pupils, but cap numbers DfE eases inclusion agreement with grammar schools The DfE said the number of selective schools offering a level of priority to disadvantaged children increased from 63 in 2017, to 136 in 2022. Of 152 members of GSHA, 104 now prioritise children eligible for free school meals or the pupil premium for admission, after looked-after and previously-looked-after children, who have to be first by law. However, of those, 42 鈥渃ap the numbers of disadvantaged children to be admitted under this priority criterion鈥�. Some schools also lowered their pass mark for disadvantaged children. The DfE pointed out that 鈥渙nly high-ability pupils who meet the required standard in a selection test are eligible for admission to grammar schools and, like their non-pupil premium peers, not all pupil premium children will meet the required standard鈥�. They said the Covid-19 pandemic had 鈥渦nderstandably, been a challenge for schools in undertaking outreach activity鈥�, but added there were 鈥渕any good examples鈥� of work by schools. Dr Mark Fenton Dr Mark Fenton, chief executive of GSHA, said schools had been 鈥渆xperimenting with different ways of adjusting their admissions policies to widen access鈥�. As part of a new MoU, the organisation will be 鈥渆ncouraging governing bodies to take a fresh look at their admissions policies in light of experience from across the sector.鈥� But he said it was 鈥渆ncouraging鈥� that the overall number of poorer children in grammar schools had 鈥渃ontinued to rise鈥� despite a drop in attainment of disadvantaged primary pupils.