KENT could be doing more to encourage children from poorer backgrounds to take the 11-plus, according to the politician appointed to take charge of classroom standards across the county.

Cllr Chris Wells (Con), KCC’s cabinet member for children, families and educational standards, said he was concerned that in less well-off parts of the county, fewer pupils were encouraged to take the 11-plus than elsewhere.

His comments come after the former Conservative education spokesman David Willetts ditched the party’s long-standing support for grammar schools, saying they no longer helped poorer pupils.

Mr Wells, recently appointed to KCC’s cabinet in place of John Simmonds, stressed he was a strong supporter of Kent’s selective system.

However, there were indications in some areas that children were not actively encouraged to think they might be suitable for a grammar school.

In an interview with the Kent Messenger Group, he said: "One thing that does seem to me to be quite clear is that in areas of social disadvantage and deprivation, we are not getting the numbers of children to take the 11-plus that we should be, particularly in parts of Thanet, Dover and Swale.

"Whether that is a confidence issue with the parents, children or teachers I am not sure but certainly there is something there that does need looking at."

He stopped short of saying where the fault lay but made clear he expected all schools to do what they could to offer the same opportunities to all children, regardless of their background.

"It is [about]trying to ensure we bring those children through, who are bright but perhaps come from homes where books are relatively rare; where the idea of doing homework is relatively rare and the idea of succeeding at school is something they do not see in their immediate family around them."

Mr Willetts sparked a revolt among Kent MPs when he said the chances of poorer pupils getting into grammars were "shockingly low".

An analysis by the Kent Messenger Group recently revealed how nearly five times as many pupils qualify for free school meals at Kent’s non-selective high schools compared to grammar schools.

Cllr Wells also revealed he was not persuaded by plans to replace or supplement the 11-plus with an element of continuous assessment.

A working group has been examining the pros and cons of the idea but has not yet reported back.