FORMER schools minister David Laws has said the country needs more high performing comprehensives like Hanley Castle High School - rather than grammar schools.

Mr Laws was at the high school to open its new £1.4 million sixth form centre after it was he who signed off on a £1.2 million grant for the expansion during his time in office.

Mr Laws praised the high performing school for delivering outstanding grades, outstanding figures for value-added to students' outcomes, and getting outstanding performances from disadvantaged pupils.

And he gave guests what he called a sneak preview of research, by the Westminster education think tank where he is now chief executive, on whether grammar schools are better for high ability students.

He said: "Given the argument about grammar schools is - do other schools stretch higher achieving pupils as well as grammar schools?

"What we found in our research based upon all the department for Education's own private data is that if you are a student with very high ability and you go to one of the top performing, top 25 per cent performing schools in terms of their value added then your results are just as good as if you go into the grammar school system.

"I think that's what we are being told by the figures we are seeing for your school.

"Those parents who are taking the deliberate decision even with high achieving students to send them here rather than other grammar schools are getting just as good standards of education, just as good a set of GCSE and A levels, just as good an opportunity to get into university.

"If I could imagine what any government of any party would want to see for the school system in this country, it's schools like this, serving their catchment area, outstanding grades, outstanding value added, outstanding performance for disadvantaged pupils. You are ticking every one of those boxes.

"And if we could replicate what you've done here we wouldn't need a department for education or ministers for education because all our problems would be fixed."

The full report from the Education Policy Institute is due to be released tomorrow.

Headteacher Lindsey Cooke said: "This is a comprehensive school which produces outstanding results for its most able students as well as all other students.

"We couldn't do that without the support of the wider community who have been so very generous and also someone like David Laws who clearly has the best interests of children at heart.

"We share his passion and his belief that schools like this can provide the best high quality education."

The school's new centre offers spacious classrooms, a well-equipped library, study rooms for independent learning and an IT hub.

The school received a grant of £1.2 million from the department for Education, while the rest was gained from fundraising and donations.

Guests at the event included principal building contractor, Speller Metcalfe and PR Associates, who managed and designed the building.

Supporters of the development, Midshire Communications Ltd, Alliance in Partnership, Weston’s Cider, QinetiQ and RM were also there.

Clive and Sylvia Richards, whose charity donated £50,000 to the school, were guests of honour.