exam

"I worked so hard to pass the test…I felt very upset," said Joshua, 10, after finding out he had not passed his 11+ exam.

The talks, therefore, had centred on career progression, working conditions and out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

"I certainly think it was a mistake ... for us not to find some way to interact more with children, particularly those who have been affected by the exams problems," he said.

Referencing the exams fiasco, counsel to the inquiry Clair Dobbin KC suggested to Johnson that "the whole thing was a disaster".

Although it does ask for academic qualifications, a large part of the admissions process hangs on an entrance exam.