The Impact of £60m a year for grammar school expansion?

LibDems are fighting against the potential loss of our most academically able children to expanding Grammer Schools. Bristol is among the most divided cities in the country. It has the second highest income per capita in the country, and pockets of poverty in the housing estates south of the river all the way to Weston-super-Mare. It is one of only a handful of areas outside the south-east where independent schools outnumber secondary schools and it is going to get a massive cash injection.

Philip Hammond has earmarked £240m for the expansion of grammar schools in England over the next four years despite having "no mandate" to do so.

This will only further highlight the differences as more of our academically able children are creamed off and removed from the Weston Schools. All four of our Weston Schools are pushing standards up with Priory already an outstanding school. We need our Headteachers to band together with the same message just like the heads of every state school in West Sussex. Their letter to Theresa May argued that they need £20m in emergency funding to find and pay staff, try to repair buildings and enhance standards. They say the "distraction" of grammar schools cannot be a priority ahead of this basic funding and staffing.

Are they even listening?