She said existing grammars to expand, and new ones could be created, and the reforms would stop the wealthy choosing their children’s school by buying a house near it.
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“For too long we have tolerated a system that contains an arbitrary rule preventing selective schools from being established, sacrificing children’s potential because of dogma and ideology”, May said.
At a press conference at the end of last week, May made it clear that she did not intend to build a system to accommodate a return to the much maligned 11-plus and secondary modern school.
She said: “Grammars are not the answer to this – we have got that evidence already”.
Greening’s predecessor Michael Gove urged her to say she would be “entirely driven by data and what works” on grammars.
May said new grammars would be required to take a proportion of children from poorer backgrounds.
Labour has accused Mrs May of favouring an education system that will only cater for the “select few” while unions suggested her plans are elitist.
There is also concern within the Tory ranks, including from former education secretary Nicky Morgan.
“I want every parent to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing their children will get the chance to go to a great school”.
Sir Michael Wilshaw, the Government’s outgoing chief inspector of schools, on Monday dismissed the selective model and said it would fail the poorest children.
She declined to say how many grammars she would ideally like to see and ducked a question asking whether the government would be producing evidence from academics or Whitehall officials showing that the policy would improve educational attainment for all.
The Prime Minister told the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories she wanted to create a “21st century education system” with an “element of selection”, sources who were at the meeting said.
The leaked memo said it needs to work with existing grammars “to show how they can be expanded and reformed in ways which avoid disadvantaging those who don’t get in”.
Education Secretary Justine Greening told Parliament on Thursday that the government believes in so-called “selective grammar schools” but did not believe in a return to a “winners and losers” style split caused by 11-plus tests.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: ” If the Conservatives care about our children’s education they should reverse their cuts to school budgets.
Selective education supporters often point to the list of high-achievers who were taught at grammar schools, including Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Margaret Thatcher, Anthony Hopkins, David Attenborough and Alan Bennett.
“There are schools that would jump at the chance to select academically”.
The prime minister claimed that restoring academic selection to state schools, which mostly disappeared in England and Wales when comprehensive schools were introduced in the 1960s, would help to increase social mobility.
In the Opposition, the PM’s grammar schools initiative has prompted some rare unity.
“There’s no evidence at all that that is the answer to numerous problems in our education system”.
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“Sevenoaks parents can feel very proud of their crucial intervention into the national debate on the return of grammar schools”, said Mr Shilling. According to the Sutton Trust, only three per cent of pupils in grammar schools are entitled to free school meals, compared with an average of 15 per cent of children in receipt of free school meals across all state schools.
