Hackney in top five most ‘anti grammar school’ areas of England

YouGov’s map shows areas in red that are against grammar schools and those in green that are in favour of them. Image: YouGov

More people in Hackney are opposed to grammar schools than in almost any other local authority area of England, research by YouGov suggests.

The borough came fifth out of 148 parts of England in a list of “anti grammar school areas” compiled by the pollster.

Henry Stewart, a former school governor and Hackney entrepreneur with an interest in education issues, said he was “delighted” by the finding.

In an article for Local Schools Network he accused supporters of grammar schools of having a “rose-tinted view of a bygone era”.

“Hackney has gone from being one of the worst performing local authorities in the country to the single best one on every measure,” Stewart told the Hackney Citizen. “If we should learn from the best, we should learn from Hackney.”

Henry Stewart. Photograph: Miriam Stewart

The most pro-grammar school area was Bexley, and other areas in the top 10 most well disposed towards this type of educational institution included Kent and Croydon.

The 10 most “anti grammar school” areas of England were, according to YouGov:

1. St Helens

2. Darlington

3. Knowsley

4. Hull

5. Hackney

6. Haringey

7. Sunderland

8. Manchester

9. Sandwell

10. North Tyneside

The 10 most “pro-grammar school” areas of England according to YouGov were:

1. Bexley

2. Windsor and Maidenhead

3. Kensington and Chelsea

4. Croydon

5. Hammersmith and Fulham

6. Wokingham

7. Kent

8. North Lincolnshire

9. Barnet

10. Hillingdon

Although England is in fact divided up into 152 local education areas, some did not return large enough samples of opinion to reflect an overall position on grammar schools, meaning it is impossible to compare every part of the country.

Theresa May has said all schools in England will be given the right to select pupils by ability, overturning a ban on new grammar schools that has been in place since 1998.

Announcing the findings of its research, an article on YouGov’s website stated: “Whilst the correlation isn’t perfect, there seems to be a broadly urban/rural divide on the popularity of grammar schools as well as a North/South split.

“The ten areas most anti-grammar schools are all urban areas, seven of which are in the North/Yorkshire. Nine of the of the ten most pro-grammar areas, by contrast, are in London and the South East.”

YouGov last month revealed nearly six in ten people (62 per cent) would get their child to sit the entrance exam for a grammar school if there was one locally, while two thirds (67 per cent) would send their child to a grammar school if they passed the exam.

There are currently no grammar schools in Hackney.