New Department for Education figures show that white British pupils now make up less than half of grammar school intakes, with the proportion falling from 66 per cent to 44 per cent over the past decade. Head teachers say the shift is being driven partly by white British families being put off applying, with Reading School's Chris Evans suggesting parents fear their children could be "hot-housed" if admitted, while other schools point to rising aspirations among second-generation immigrant families and their greater willingness to travel or relocate for a place.

The decline has been sharpest in areas including Kent, Greater Manchester, Essex, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and West Yorkshire. At Reading School, white British applications fell from 49 per cent to 13 per cent this year, while Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham saw white British representation drop from 75 per cent to 34 per cent as Indian pupil numbers rose from eight per cent to 30 per cent. Dartford Grammar School for Girls recorded an even steeper fall, from 52 per cent to seven per cent white British, alongside rising African, Indian and Chinese representation. School leaders cited factors such as strong community networks, word-of-mouth reputation and broad language provision, while Reading School said it was running outreach programmes to counter perceptions that grammar schools neglect sport and the arts, and to address concerns about costly entrance-exam tutoring.