“In my local authority, Kent, we have daily traffic congestion chaos, in many ways caused by selective schools with their pupils travelling into the town by car, bus and train.  Some pupils travel up to 20 miles each day !  Two faith schools also add to problem as parents insist that their children attend the town schools even though they may live outside of the area eg 10 miles away.  For example, Paddock Wood has one of the very few comprehensive schools in Kent.  It is an excellent school with pupils attaining 1st Class degrees at Uni.  However, it is shunned by faith and grammar parents who seem to think the schools in Tunbridge Wells are better.  Community schools have closed down because the brightest pupils have deserted to grammar schools in other towns.  We also have the bizarre situation children that who live in Tonbridge cannot get into grammar schools in Tonbridge and are forced to travel to Tunbridge Wells some 5 miles distant, to make even worse the rail, bus and road chaos. I am sure that the reverse of this situation happens as well with grammar and non-selective children.  Finally, the chaos continues with East Sussex children who live in a fully comprehensive county travel into Kent to attend Grammar schools and the reverse with pupils who fail the 11 plus travelling from Kent into East Sussex !

Grammar and Faith school choices come at high cost to the environment and the choices of children who fail the 11 plus and/or who are not religious.”