Grammar schools in Kent offered just 83 places to poorer brighter pupils despite having admissions policies designed to boost the numbers of disadvantaged children, figures reveal.

The data for admissions last September was obtained by the campaign group Comprehensive Future, which opposes selective schooling.

It showed that across 15 grammar schools in Kent and Medway, there was only a marginal impact from admissions criteria giving priority to children eligible for pupil premium funding.

Schools get such funding for children who have been eligible for free school meals, in care, or whose parents have served in the armed forces at any point in the past six years.

A total of 2,150 grammar spaces were available to pupils generally in those schools.

In three schools, no offers were made at all under their admissions policy supposed to give priority to less advantaged children.

They were Cranbrook School, Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar and Chatham and Clarendon School.

One school - Dartford Girls Grammar - offered 31 places available to disadvantaged children, one more than the number it allocated. The next highest was Borden Grammar (12) followed by Tonbridge Grammar (10).

Selective schools are under pressure to do more to encourage disadvantaged children to apply for places.

James Skinner, chairman of the Grammar Schools Heads Association, said the data did not reflect the fact that many selective schools had now adopted admissions policies that would take effect next year.

“No-one is arguing that more doesn’t need to be done and grammars are not just playing lip service to the issue. It is not just a matter of changing admissions criteria - that is an important part but we need to make families aware of the opportunities and do more work with primary schools,” he said.

Rebecca Hickman, vice chairman of Comprehensive Future, said prioritising disadvantaged children in oversubscription criteria “doesn’t work because these children don’t pass the 11-plus in the first place”.

Such policies amounted to cynical tokenism which was “encouraged by the government to try to lend some legitimacy to a fundamentally unfair system.”

“No-one is arguing that more doesn’t need to be done and grammars are not just playing lip service to the issue. It is not just a matter of changing admissions criteria - that is an important part but we need to make families aware of the opportunities and do more work with primary schools" - James Skinner

Nationally, the data showed that of the 12,341 places available at 80 grammar schools across England last September, 564 were offered to pupils who attract pupil premium funding.

The government recently announced a £50m fund to help grammar schools expand but only so long as they did more to help poorer children.

About six schools in the county are understood to have submitted bids for a share of the money.

SIDEBAR:

Places offered last September by schools with admissions policies giving priority to those eligible for pupil premium funding:

Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School - 1

Dover Grammar School for Girls - 4

Highsted Grammar School - 2

Sir Roger Manwood's School - 2

Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School - 0

Cranbrook School - 0

Tonbridge Grammar School - 10

Wilmington Grammar School for Girls - 3

Wilmington Grammar School for Boys - 3

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys - 0

Borden Grammar School - 12

The Skinners' School - 5

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School - 3

The Judd School - 1

Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School - 0

Dartford Grammar School for Girls - 31

Rainham Mark Grammar School - 2

Gravesend Grammar School - 1