A leading education expert says hiring tutors to help kids pass the 11-plus is a “waste of money” amid reports of a growing industry aimed at getting coveted grammar school places.

There are claims some in-demand coaches are even setting “entrance tests” for children of wealthy parents who fear private education will become too expensive under a future Labour government.

A proposed 20% VAT hike on independent schools by Sir Keir Starmer’s party could close some establishments as they are put financially out of reach of some families.

But Simon Webb, former Principal Primary Adviser for Kent state schools, claimed hiring tutors to get your child into a Grammar is pointless.

He explained: “It’s quite simple - either a child has the ability to pass the 11-plus or they don’t.

“A child who has been tutored makes little difference to the scores in testing. While you can fine tune a child in taking the test - what they cannot do is add ability to a child.

“I can see why it’s happening but I don’t see what difference it will make - I think the parents are wasting their money.”

Joe Hytner of Titanium Tutors, whose company has pupils in Kent, said the demand for 11-plus tuition has been on the rise for some time.

It first started after the 2008 financial crash when parents could no longer afford private school fees and moved their children into the state sector.

More recently, he said COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis has seen a renewed interest in coaching.

Cambridge classics graduate and former teacher Mr Hytner told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “In the past six months, we have seen a definite rise in interest because of the VAT increase.

“Here, tutoring is not just about getting a child through a test but providing for their emotional needs and giving confidence.”

The demand for grammar school places in selective areas is generally greater than the supply.

It’s quite simple - either a child has the ability to pass the 11-plus or they don’t

Some education specialists say further demand from children originally destined for the private sector could make grammars “super-selective”, possibly to the detriment of able pupils from poorer families.

The Times newspaper said its analysis shows children on free school meals at selective schools in England is less than a third of the national average and for a dozen grammars it is less than a tenth.

Mr Hytner said if Labour's plan goes ahead it "doesn't necessarily mean grammar schools will admit fewer students from lower income households".

Mr Webb argued if a child is already in the state sector, it should not skew the grammar numbers.

But he added: “If the pupil is already in a private primary school, then it could be a case of the parents trying to get the best of both worlds.”

There are numerous areas around England where grammars still exist but there are far more in Kent.

Counties such as Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire have a significant number of grammar schools.

Kent education expert Peter Read explained the county is “different” from other areas because there are only a handful of “super-selective” grammars while a few others set their own tests, not the 11-plus.

Some in education have argued that it is the smaller independent schools who are likely to suffer because of the Labour VAT proposal but will not affect grammar selection as they are inclined to be academically less selective.

In some areas, those parents are inclined to opt for a private education because their children are unlikely to get into a grammar school.