More than half of grammar schools in England are planning to change their admissions procedures to give priority to poorer children.

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that it has given permission for 30 schools to change their admission procedures.

Some 58 more are considering a similar change, according to the Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA).

The Sutton Trust, which campaigns for fairer admissions, welcomed the move.

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James Turner, Sutton Trust director of programmes, said the move was an important step forward and hoped it would help with some of the access issues it had identified.

However, he warned that admissions policies were “just one part of the equation”.

Last year a report by the charity argued for an end to a culture of coaching pupils for 11-plus tests so that poor bright children are not excluded from grammar schools.

The report said tests should be changed regularly so that they are tutor proof and urged grammar schools to offer test preparation classes to all candidates.

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The Sutton Trust was also covered online on this story by the Mail, TES and the Independent.