Ruth's schools compromise

Ms Kelly set out a series of significant changes to the plans, including extra safeguards to stop schools selecting pupils on academic ability or social background.

However, the compromise package received a mixed reaction from Labour MPs and condemnation from the Tories, who had supported the original plans.

The Government insisted the changes did not "dilute" the core proposals set out in last year's White Paper for a new generation of independent "trust schools" with the freedom to run their own affairs. The changes tonight included:

Giving the national school admissions code new legal force.

Outlawing the practice of interviewing prospective parents.

Allowing local authorities to set up new community schools.

Giving local forums new powers to monitor school admissions and refer any school in breach of the code to an adjudicator for action.

Critics of the White Paper plan feared it would allow schools to select pupils by academic ability or social background.

Ms Kelly set out the changes tightening the school admissions system in a letter to the chairman of the Commons education select committee, Labour MP Barry Sheerman.

The committee called for a series of changes - many of which have been agreed - in a report on the White Paper last month.

Ms Kelly told Mr Sheerman she entirely understood why MPs wanted "clear assurance" that the reforms would not bring back grammar-school style selection.

"It is essential that we have a system of fair admissions that delivers for all pupils," she said.

"We will ensure that this is translated into law so that no trust school or any other maintained school can undertake any further selection by academic ability."

Ms Kelly said ministers have always intended that the national admissions code of practice should have "real force".

But she conceded that the legal context for the code had left a "loophole". Currently schools only have to "have regard" to the code in their admissions policies.