The head of Ofsted has slammed grammar schools in England for being "stuffed full" of middle-class children and failing to improve the chances of poorer pupils.

Sir Michael Wilshaw's critical comments of state grammar schools were made after an expansion to the provision of selective education in Kent was rejected. 

Weald of Kent Grammar School and Invicta Grammar School both submitted rival bids to run annexes in Sevenoaks to increase the number of selective school places amid a shortage. However, both were rejected by the Department for Education because the law only allows for expansion - but not the creation of - new schools, which these bids were deemed to involve.

Speaking to The Observer, the Ofsted chief inspector explained that the amount of grammar school children who receive free school meals - three per cent - is nonsense.

He said: "Anyone who thinks grammar schools are going to increase social mobility needs to look at those figures. I don't think they work."

The evidence suggested that people calling for a return to the grammar school system are misguided, the chief inspector commented.

Sir Michael also expressed his views that people in teaching jobs get too many holidays. In the wide-ranging interview, he said that the six-week holidays in the summer was too long. 

However, he believes that the government has been doing a good job in ensuring there are adequate numbers of high-quality teachers in the UK, which could be vital if - as expected - many young families come into the country following the lifting of the restrictions that had prevented Romanians and Bulgarians working in the UK. 

"If we get huge numbers of children from overseas and from eastern Europe coming in, we have to have enough teachers to teach them and resources available in schools," he added.

As somebody who has worked in schools, what do you think of Sir Michael's comments? Are grammar schools hampering social mobility? Do teachers have too many holidays? Are there enough school places?

Let us know your views.