Controlling admissions could help build a school's ethos, Ruth Kelly said

She was pressed by MPs in the Commons on the government's plans to shake up schools in England by allowing them to control which pupils they take in.

She said there would be no return to academic selection or the "divisive 11-plus" under the new trust schools.

Ms Kelly said new research showed that schools which ran their own admissions did not add to social segregation.

The government's White Paper on education sets out plans for all schools to become "trust schools", which the government describes as independent, non fee-charging schools.

In common with foundation schools or voluntary-aided (faith) schools, they would be able to set their own admissions criteria.

This has alarmed some MPs who argue that children from poorer backgrounds or those with problems could be screened out.

Academic selection

During education questions in the Commons, Ruth Kelly faced accusations that the plans were the same as those for existing foundation schools but also would leave a loophole through which schools could bring in academic selection.

She replied: "We are building on a model of foundation schools and voluntary-aided schools.

"In the Bill we propose to put in safeguards to make sure that those bodies that want to get involved with schools in a partnership are committed to raising educational standards, have charitable objectives ... and a duty to promote race relations and social cohesion as well."

Labour MP David Chaytor asked her to make the code of practice on admissions legally binding, but she said that was "not necessary".

The Shadow Education Secretary David Cameron called on Ms Kelly to rule out making the rules statutory.

"Today, you said you didn't think it was necessary. Could I ask you to go a bit further and to rule out that change?" he said.

Ms Kelly said: "The code achieves its end of ruling out selection by ability on its current statutory basis.

There is no correlation whatsoever between the number of own-admission authorities and social segregation Ruth Kelly, Education Secretary

"However, interpretation over the code is very important for schools who want to create their own distinctive ethos."

Liberal Democrat education spokesman Ed Davey said: "A few schools already discourage and weed out local disadvantaged children from coming to their schools.

"How will allowing thousands more schools to set their own admissions policies stop such unfair practices?"

Ruth Kelly insisted trust schools would have to abide by existing rules on admissions in the code of practice and said it was "not necessary" to put those rules on a statutory footing.

She said her department was analysing the effect on social segregation of letting schools fix their own admissions criteria.

"The preliminary conclusions of our research showed that there is no correlation whatsoever between the number of own-admission authorities and social segregation.

"In fact, the preliminary conclusions show that in some areas where the vast majority of schools are community schools, the social segregation has been much higher," she told MPs.

The research has not yet been published.

Ruth Kelly added that the White Paper would also include measures to make community schools and trust schools give priority to children in care when admitting pupils.