if Kingsdale's long term aim is to become a large selective academy for privileged middle class children then there is a real chance our 2 main comprehensives will become failing inner city secondary moderns - the ugly twin sister of these modern day grammar schools. This in fact reduces choice.

But before we send the flame throwing tanks into the kingsdale compound, just maybe Steve Morrison's aim in trawling leafy se23 for students is to seed his classes with better role models, while largely keeping the school's traditional intake. If he can get the school up to the academic levels of FH boys/Sydenham girls and can maintain it, without changing the intake too much, then he has done a marvelous job, and it is money well spent.

Plus we get the benefit of a having a reasonable localish mixed comprehensive school as well as the 2 reasonable single sex schools to chose from. The jury is still out on this one.