A TEACHING union representative said it was ‘no surprise’ that a survey by the Sutton Trust found state funded schools were becoming more socially exclusive.

Simon Jones, Blackburn with Darwen representative for the National Union of Teachers, said academy chains were finding ways to select only the pupils they wanted.

He said: “It is a problem which will only get worse with the expansion of the free schools programme as they can act as their own admissions authority.

“This kind of approach to organising state education will cause untold problems further down the line.

“Our society needs to be more cohesive and socially inclusive, not more segregated or socially divisive.

“It has to be remembered that this is state education, funded by the taxpayer, so choosing prospective pupils on the basis of their parents’ social background is unacceptable.

“We need to see a return to an accountable education system with a central role for local authorities, who are best placed to plan and manage school place provision and oversee fair, accountable school admission policies.”