WORCESTERSHIRE'S Tory education chief has launched fresh criticism over grammar schools - saying he will resist children being "divided up".

Councillor Marc Bayliss, the cabinet member for children and families at County Hall, has reminded Theresa May of the stark opposition she faces by reiterating his concern.

The politician says too many young people in the old days of grammas were allowed to leave school with a "sense of failure".

The remarks come just a week after furious Worcester headteachers rounded on the Government over the Prime Minister's flagship policy, saying they want MPs to block it.

Councillor Bayliss first made his opposition to grammar schools clear in August, and was asked about it by Labour politicians during a County Hall meeting yesterday.

"I don't see the case for wholesale, system-wide change, I think our schools deliver excellent outcomes for young people," he said.

"So I don't believe in a return to selection at 11 - I'm with David Cameron when he said he didn't want children to be divided up into sheep and goats aged 11, I'm still on that page."

He added: "I wasn't against grammas per se, it was the secondary moderns, it was the sense of failure.

"We need all our children to leave education with a positive feeling about their future careers."

During the debate Labour Councillor Robin Lunn, the group's education spokesman, said the Government's grammar schools bid was "like a 1950s policy".

Councillor Bayliss also said the "most important issue" was to continue the fight for fairer funding, following comments from Labour Councillor Chris Bloore about Worcestershire still having to wait.

The grammar school criticism comes as one Worcestershire MP outlines her plan to rebel against the legislation, accusing Mrs May of trying to "put the clock back".

Karen Lumley, a Conservative representing Redditch, said: "I went to a grammar school and it certainly wasn't for me.

"I am very sceptical about the idea that poor children will benefit from a return to grammar schools.

"This could lead to a divisive system and put the clock back on education, negating much of the great progress we've made over the last few years."

This morning it also emerged that former Chancellor George Osborne is against the policy, with some reports suggesting he still harbours leadership ambitions.

The PM wants to overturn New Labour legislation which banned any new grammas from opening up in 1998, and also allow comprehensives to select a portion of their intake.

Mrs May insists she wants to end the unfairness of "selection by house price", by giving bright children in all postcodes and backgrounds chance to get into a top selective school.

Under the legislation, which faces a tough battle to get past the Commons and House of Lords, schools converting into grammars will need to reserve some places for pupils from poorer backgrounds.