Jeremy Corbyn used Prime Minister's Questions to attack the Prime Minister over her plans to bring back grammar schools.

The Labour leader said a selective education would never bring about equality but lead to a "second-class schooling for many", in a Commons performance many labelled as his best.

For the first time in months Mr Corbyn enjoyed the support of his backbenchers as they rallied in their opposition to Theresa May's surprise plans to lift the ban on grammar school expansion.

Sky News' Political Editor discusses PMQs

He quoted former prime minister David Cameron on why selection was wrong and Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw, who said the idea the poor will benefit from grammar schools was "palpable tosh and nonsense".

Mr Corbyn used all six of his questions to press home an advantage on the issue, with Mrs May failing to answer queries on feeder primary schools and whether she had support from experts.


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Educationalists and teachers have been vehemently opposed to the idea. This week the children's author Michael Morpurgo hit out at the plans.

Mrs May accused Mr Corbyn of getting his thinking from the 1950s and reminded him that he went to a grammar school.

May has said grammar proposals are 'looking to the future'

She said: "You went to a grammar school, I went to a grammar school - it's what got us where we are today but my side might be rather happier about that than yours."

And added: "It is members of the Labour Party who will take the advantages of a good education for themselves and pull up the ladder behind them for other people."

Effective from Corbyn on grammars - but would have been even more effective last week when the open goal appears... — Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) September 14, 2016

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Mr Corbyn retorted: "The two things the Prime Minister and I have in common is we can both remember the 1950s and we can both remember going to a grammar school.

"My point is simply this - every child should have the best possible education they can have.



"We don't need and never should divide children at the age of 11 - a life-changing decision where the majority end up losing out."

Mr Corbyn said that children in grammar school areas who did not pass the exam to attend a school did far worse than those in areas with comprehensive schools.

:: PM unveils grammar school expansion plans

67% of people would send their child to a grammar school, 35% think good for social mobility - https://t.co/jywaY4BbgP — Tamara Cohen (@tamcohen) September 14, 2016

Sky's Political Editor Faisal Islam said the performance had been one of Mr Corbyn's better ones - on a par with his attack on Mr Cameron over the forced academisation of schools.

He said: "I am taken back to when he did some damage to David Cameron on the issue of academisation. This is in that territory.

"Theresa May didn't seem entirely comfortable and you had that rare moment in which Labour's backbenchers were united behind their leader in attacking the proposals to extend selection."

He said the problem was exacerbated by the "non rapturous" support for Mrs May's plans from her own backbenches.

The former education secretary Nicky Morgan has said she won't support proposals.

However, Sky's Tamara Cohen pointed out that the public was in favour of plans to expand grammar schools.

Mrs May has promised a quota for grammar schools on the number of children they must take from poor backgrounds.