Education secretary Ruth Kelly has given her strongest assurance yet that the education white paper will not lead to greater selection.
Addressing delegates at the North of England Education Conference, shesaid: "I can give you a categorical assurance that there will be no newselection by ability for trust schools." But John Bangs, head ofeducation at the NUT, expressed concern that trust schools would bestill able to covertly exclude challenging children.
At the same conference, the new chief inspector of schools Maurice Smithcalled for better services for looked-after children.
