Children's secretary Ed Balls has criticised school selection saying that it makes children who have not got into grammar schools feel like failures.

Although he stopped short of calling for grammar schools to be scrapped, Mr Balls used a speech to headteachers to outline his opposition to the 11-plus.

Speaking at the National College for School Leadership’s annual conference in Birmingham, he said: "Let me make clear that I do not like selection.

"I accept selection is a local decision for parents and local authorities. But I do not accept that children in secondary moderns should be left to fall behind.

"Overall, secondary moderns are around twice as likely to be below the 30 per cent benchmark than the average school. I've heard first-hand how some of the young people starting in these schools feel on day one that they have already failed."

Kent has the largest number of grammars in the country and the minister's remarks are being seen by some as an attempt to appease Labour backbenchers unhappy the Government has sidestepped the issue of scrapping the country’s remaining 164 grammar schools.

Mr Balls said he would be launching a blueprint aimed at helping non-selective schools areas like Kent, which could see more cash directed to them.

The Government has been criticised for labelling some 638 secondary schools as supposedly failing because too few pupils were getting five or more good GCSEs.

Kent has 31 such schools but many of the county’s non-selective heads criticised their inclusion, saying the Government failed to take account of their intake.

Cllr Chris Wells (Con) KCC cabinet member for schools, said the comments showed Mr Balls had "finally woken up to the fact that his National Challenge initiative was crudely formed, crassly presented and did more damage than good".

He was sceptical there would be extra money for schools, saying previous initiatives had effectively recycled money already promised.