A WORCESTER headteacher has written an open letter to the city's MP demanding he change his stance on grammar schools.

Neil Morris, from Christopher Whitehead Language College, has also set up an online petition calling for Robin Walker to vote against the Government's selective school plans.

The move comes after Mr Walker revealed to the Worcester News how he is not planning to rebel against Theresa May's deeply controversial overhaul.

Mr Morris' petition had gathered more than 100 signatures by last night despite only being set up at the weekend.

In his open letter, he said he felt the grammar school plans were a "smokescreen" to mask disarray around the Government's educational policies.

In his open letter, he said: "The sadness is that once again fairer educational funding has been put back for at least another year; a crippling decision for many of the Worcestershire schools.

"The irony that the Government can find £50 million a year for selective grammar school education in times of austerity has not been missed by those of us in state education trying to juggle deficit budgets and increasing Government and public expectations."

Mr Morris's letter added: "It is my belief that this proposal is a smokescreen to mask the shortcomings recent educational policy has caused, leaving those leading schools bewildered as to what could be next."

He also criticised a proposal that would allow universities to open free schools.

Mr Walker told the Worcester News he felt Mr Morris had "misunderstood" Theresa May's flagship policy - and added it was too early anyway to talk about voting intentions.

"I'll be replying to him, but fundamentally I think he's misunderstood the policy, he seems to think grammar schools are being 'forced' on Worcestershire which is not the case," he said.

"I've got a lot of respect for Neil, I think he's a very good headteacher but he's telling me how to vote on something where there is no imminent vote.

"What the Government is doing is consulting on it, and I want to see what the policy is, but as I've said (to this newspaper) I am bound by collective responsibility (as a minister).

"I won't be telling anyone how to run their schools, I don't consider that part of my job."

He reiterated his argument that his main motive will be on making sure fairer funding reforms go ahead.

Mr Walker is now a member of the Government himself, as a minister in the Department for Exiting the EU.

Just one county MP has firm plans to vote against the legislation if and when it goes before parliament after the consultation is over, Redditch’s Karen Lumley.

The others have insisted their focus will remain on securing fairer funding like Mr Walker, rather than trying to rebel over selective schooling.

Earlier this month worried secondary school heads in Worcester called Mrs May's idea "mad" and "potty".

A study released last week by the Education Policy Institute has found no evidence that "overall educational standards" would be improved by overturning the existing grammar school ban which New Labour introduced in 1998.

Under the PM's plans some places at grammar schools will be reserved for pupils from poorer backgrounds, with Mrs May arguing that it will give them a better chance to get on in life.