Competition for places at many grammar schools, often oversubscribed by a factor of 10, has become even tougher in the credit crunch, research by the Financial Times suggests.
The number of applicants to the schools that form the elite of the state system has risen strongly this year in some local authorities contacted by the FT, in spite of a decline in the overall number of pupils applying. Several schools cite financial insecurity caused by the recession.
Their views, and the figures behind them, support anecdotal evidence that an increasing number of parents previously intent on their children being educated in the private sector are exploring the option of a free education at grammar schools.
The tally of candidates for autumn 2009 entry has risen by 4 per cent in the wealthy London Borough of Barnet, in spite of an overall 5 per cent decline in the number of pupils applying for state school places in the borough.
The same pattern - of higher demand for grammar school places bucking the trend of an overall fall in applications to other schools - is repeated for this year in Essex, which has some
of the highest-performing grammars in the country, and in Birmingham.
Henrietta Barnett School in the borough of Barnet, one of the best grammars in the country according the FT's latest A-level league table, demonstrates this phenomenon in extreme form. The number of applicants has jumped by more than 100 in a year, to 1,295.
Jo Velleman, development director at the school, says: "We had anticipated there would be an increase this year because of the economic situation, and that proved right. There will still be only 93 places, so that leaves 1,200 unhappy parents." This year only one applicant will be successful out of almost 14 candidates, compared with fewer than 12 candidates two years ago.
Thomas Sherrington, head teacher of King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, with a top 20 FT ranking, says: "I know directly, talking to people on the 11-plus days and so on, our applications are increased
by the fact that some [families] can't afford fee-paying schools." Applications for this year have jumped from 703 to 772.
Nicole Chapman, head teacher at Chelmsford County High School for Girls, where applications have risen by 99 in a year to 776, says: "Clearly, the economic downturn is likely to be a factor." But she also credits other reasons, such as recent attempts by the school to raise awareness of the grammar option at primaries in deprived areas.
The deadline for most applications to grammar schools was October last year, a month after the global economic downturn intensified dramatically.
But in spite of the evidence of a rise in grammar school applications, this week's survey from the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference suggests registrations among the top echelon of private schools has also increased this year.
That suggests parents might be responding to economic insecurity by registering their children for both grammars and top private schools, because they are unsure what their personal financial situation will be by September. But it is not clear how the bulk of private schools that lie outside the HMC are faring.
The FT research on grammar school applications, obtained through surveys and freedom-of-information requests to local authorities and individual schools, generally shows an even greater rise in applications for last September. That partly reflects rises in the overall number of children reaching secondary-school age in the local authorities studied. However, FT figures for Essex, Barnet and Birmingham show the rise in grammar school applicants for 2008 outpaced the overall tally of applications to state schools in general.
英国《金融时报》的一项研究表明，许多重点学校（grammar schools）的报名竞争在信贷危机中变得更为激烈，这些学校平常就会收到10倍的超额申请。
在英国《金融时报》接触的部分地方政府中，尽管今年学生申请总数有所下降，但申请公立系统中重点学校的人数却大大增加。一些学校称，衰退导致的财务上的不安全是原因所在。
它们的观点及其背后的数字，支持了坊间传闻的迹象：即越来越多先前打算送孩子上私立学校的家长，现在转而青睐免费的公立重点学校。
在富裕的伦敦巴尼特区，尽管申请公立学校的学生总数下降了5%，但重点学校2009年秋季入学申请人数却增加了4%。
拥有全国最好的一些重点学校的艾塞克斯和伯明翰，今年也出现了相同的情况——对这些学校的需求增加，而其它学校的申请总人数则呈下降趋势。
巴尼特区的亨丽埃塔巴尼特学校(Henrietta Barnett School)是英国《金融时报》最新的普通高级中学考试(A-levels)排行榜中表现最好的重点学校之一，它验证了上述现象的极端形式。该校申请人数在一年时间内增加了逾100人，达到了1295人。
该校发展主任乔8226;威利曼(Jo Velleman)表示：“我们已经预测到经济形势可能会导致申请人数增加，而这一预测被证明是正确的。我们学校的录取名额仍然只有93个，因此，将会有 1200位家长感到失望。”今年，几乎14个人当中才能有1个人脱颖而出，而两年前是不到12个人。
切姆斯福德的爱德华国王六世学校(King Edward VI Grammar School)在英国《金融时报》排行榜上位列第20，该校校长托马斯8226;谢林顿(Thomas Sherrington)表示：“我是通过逾11天的交谈以及种种途径直接了解到这一事实的，我们申请增加的原因是由于一些（家庭）承担不起收费学校。” 今年，该校的申请人数已经从703增加了772。
切姆斯福德郡女子高中(Chelmsford County High School for Girls)的申请人数在一年内增加了99人，达到776人。该校校长尼科尔8226;查普曼(Nicole Chapman)表示：“显然，经济衰退可能是原因之一。”但她也认为存在其它原因，比如该校最近努力让教育匮乏的区域意识到存在重点学校这一选择。
大部分重点学校的申请截止日期是去年10月份，就在之前一个月，全球经济衰退明显加剧。
不过，尽管有迹象表明重点学校的申请人数在增加，但本周来自校长大会（Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference，简称HMC）的调查也表明，今年顶尖私立学校的登记人数也有所增加。
这种现象表明，家长对经济不安全的应对方法，是既帮自己的孩子申请重点学校，同时也申请顶尖私立学校，因为他们不确定到9月份时自己的财务状况如何。但校长大会之外的私立学校的状况如何，我们不得而知。
英国《金融时报》通过调查以及对地方政府和个别学校的信息自由请求了解到了重点学校的申请人数。总体上，对该申请人数的研究表明，去年9月份的申请人数增幅更大。这在一定程度上反映了被调查的地方达到中学年龄的孩子总人数的上升。不过，英国《金融时报》关于巴尼特区、艾塞克斯和伯明翰的数据表明，2008 年，重点学校申请人数的增加速度，超过了总体公立学校申请人数的增速。
伦敦周边的许多重点学校都出现了类似情况。伦敦南部一所很受欢迎的重点学校——圣8226;欧拉瓦学校(St Olave's)表示，在过去两年内，申请人数增加了17%，几乎是7个孩子在竞争一个名额。