Education campaigners have slammed council plans to allow vulnerable children who have failed 11-plus exams in to grammar schools as a “fig leaf” to cover up “injustices” to Bucks pupils.

Bucks County Councillor (BCC) Gareth William has revealed ground-breaking plans to give Dr Challoner’s High School, in Little Chalfont, discretionary powers to permit children living in care, who have not passed the entrance exams, into the school.

However Local Equal Excellent branded the plans as “naïve”, adding they ignore 60 per cent of Bucks students who attend schools that are “less than good”.

Spokesman for the group, Katy Simmons, said: “This proposal is simply tinkering round the edges of a selective system that disadvantages the majority of Bucks secondary age students.

“It is a fig leaf to cover up the injustices done to the 60 per cent of Bucks secondary students who attend upper schools that are less than good.

“Cllr Williams is quite right about the 'pitiful numbers' of looked after children attending grammar schools.

“There are also 'pitiful numbers' in grammar schools of children from disadvantaged homes, particular minority ethnic communities and identified schools and areas in Bucks.

“Grammar schools simply draw the majority of their students from communities that can afford tutoring for the test, many from private primary schools. They privilege the already privileged.”

Councillor Williams, who sits on the children's social care and learning select committee at BCC, said he has the “full support” of the relevant cabinet members, adding that looked after children are among “the most disadvantaged” in the community.

He said: “I have received Cllr Whyte and Appleyard’s full support in this as they both care as passionately as I do about our looked after children.

“This is about making the system more adaptable for those children for whom we have a responsibility to act as corporate parents.  

“Looked after children are amongst the most disadvantaged in our community and, if successful, this would allow those able enough to access some of the best schools in the country.

“The last Ofsted report showed that 92.5% of the 235 schools in Bucks are rated good or outstanding.”