grammar schools | Schools Week

Confusion reigns over secretive ‘selective schools team’

Confusion reigns over whether there is a specific team for grammar schools at the Department for Education. Officials are claiming it’s been disbanded – but a group of school leaders seem to have met a similar team just a few weeks ago. The National Association of Secondary Moderns, which represents non-selective schools in areas with […]

Gloucestershire grammar schools accused of growing ‘by the back door’

Grammar schools in Gloucestershire are expanding “through the back door” by increasing their pupil admission numbers, a furious local comprehensive head has warned – but grammar heads are pointing to funding pressures and the need for more local secondary places. Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said members […]

Plans to widen access to grammar schools delayed by reshuffle

Plans for a formal agreement between grammar schools and the government to widen access for disadvantaged pupils have been interrupted by the appointment of a new education secretary. Last year, the schools minister Nick Gibb said the Grammar School Heads Association would “codify” a commitment to improving admission rates for disadvantaged pupils in a “formal […]

‘Confusion’ over grammar school expansion plans

A London MP is “confused” after a grammar school denied multiple reports in the press that it had plans to expand into his constituency. Despite large-scale media coverage to the contrary last year, the head of the trust behind Wallington County Grammar School (WCGS) has now insisted that expansion was “never on the table” and […]

EXCLUSIVE: DfE last changed grammar school response in June — but still refuses to publish

The Department for Education is still refusing to publish the response to its consultation on grammar schools, even though submissions closed almost a year ago and the document has not changed since June, Schools Week can exclusively reveal. The ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation ran throughout autumn 2016 in preparation for the planned introduction […]

Private school in rare move to re-brand as ‘grammar school’

A private school in the West Midlands has taken the unusual step of rebranding as a “grammar school”, and will focus on training its primary pupils for the 11-plus test. St Dominic’s Brewood, an all-through independent school in Staffordshire, has changed its name to St Dominic’s Grammar School and introduced the 11-plus for new pupils […]

Grammar supporters ‘wrong’ to think reasoning paper can’t be learned, says neuroscientist

People who say it is fairer to test pupils on non-verbal reasoning for grammar school entrance are “completely wrong” because teenage brains are very responsive to training, says an expert in adolescent brain development. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore (pictured), professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, told delegates at the Festival of Education that contrary to […]

Public confused on grammars, research suggests

The public appears to be split about whether government plans to expand grammar schools should go ahead or not, after a survey found over half would support the policy but six in ten opposed the idea of selection. New research published today by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) reveals 53 per cent of […]

Grammar schools white paper won’t be published until after election

Ministers will not publish the grammar schools white paper until after the snap general election on June 8, despite Justine Greening having recently pledged to release the publication within the “coming weeks”. The Department for Education (DfE) said “well-established restrictions” on government business during the purdah period in the run-up to local elections on May […]