Despite being relatively few in number, grammar schools remain a prominent topic in education policy debates. While some see them as the answer to Britain’s stalling social mobility problem, others argue that they only exacerbate the issue.

Hosted by the new UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO) and the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR), and chaired by Lucy Powell MP, this event brings together leading experts, commentators, policymakers and politicians to consider the best available evidence on the topic and consider policy options for the future.

Programme

4.00 - 4.05pm: Welcome and introduction (Lucy Powell MP)

4.05 - 4.15pm: Who gets in to grammar schools? (Professor Lindsey Macmillan, Director of CEPEO, UCL)

4.15 - 4.25pm: What are the costs and benefits of selective systems? (Dr Matt Dickson, IPR, University of Bath)

4.25 - 4.35pm: Selective secondary education and progression into higher education (Dr Queralt Capsada-Munsech, University of Glasgow)

4.35 - 4.45pm: What do cohort studies reveal about grammar schools, higher education, and social mobility? (Professor Alice Sullivan, CLS, UCL)

4.45 - 5.15pm: 'Why are grammar schools still so popular?' A panel debate with Lucy Powell MP, Nick Hillman (HEPI), Duncan Exley (Author), and Natalie Perera (EPI), chaired by Professor Nick Pearce (IPR, University of Bath)