Campaigns: For Fair Admissions

Posts about For Fair Admissions

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Melissa Benn: Let’s have ‘no excuses’ on admissions, for a change.

One of the interesting things about education debate is about how certain issues come to the fore, then fade and then rise in prominence again. To take but two of these - the question of admissions policy, and the relationship between private and public education-; both have resurfaced in an excellent piece by Ron Glatter in the Guardian this week. Using ... read more and comment →

36 comments

Latest comment by Ben Taylor: "Melissa I am not here under a pseudonym and it is really my picture. I appreciate being able to use this website. My only involvement in WLFS is that I think it is a good idea and support it philosophically, as ......"

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Janet Downs: Free schools and academies can, but might not. LA maintained schools can’t, but might want to. More muddle from the DfE over prioritising pupils eligible for free school meals.

“Free Schools and Academies will be able to prioritise pupils from the poorest backgrounds, ensuring they have more opportunities to benefit from innovative approaches to teaching.” So trumpets Schools Minister, Nick Gibb. But Mr Gibb is being a little economical with the truth. According to the new Schools Admission Code says, “Free Schools and Academies may, where their Funding Agreements permit, ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Melissa Benn: "Very interesting indeed Janet. And quite dastardly on the part of the government to, yet again, disallow maintained schools from doing something that appears marvellous - and that works so well in relation to the selective press release - but ......"

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Lilly: WLFS and other HF Secondaries – Intake cohort

I just noticed a FOIA response on the Hammersmith and Fulham FoIA website about Secondary intakes. The question: For secondary schools in H&F, what percentage of entrants were: below Level 4 in English below level 4 in Maths Below level 4 in English and Maths combined? The answer (of those with KS2 results available), in percent arranged as : Did not Achieve 4+ ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Anton Daley: "Interesting summary. Value Added data for the 2011 cohort for these schools paints a very interesting picture (obviously WLFS and the new Hammersmith Academy do not feature as yet) and, as Lilly says, when it comes to this cohort ......"

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James Hargrave: Is choice always a good thing? The story of the Towneys, the Burbs and the Sticks.

There is a lot of talk about "choice" in education at the moment. Parents should be able to "choose" which school they want to send their children to. Choice is automatically seen to be a good thing and what people want. That is just assumed. But is it? Imagine the following scenario. It's a few years down the line and the ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Allan Beavis: "I totally agree. Choice is a buzz word put out by the government and the Right in order to spin the idea that they have the solution to what they constructed as a crisis in education. Fed up with the local ......"

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Janet Downs: Who checks the admission codes of free schools? And what sanctions, if any, are in place for schools that flout the code?

Free schools, in theory, have to abide by the Admissions Code. But who censures the schools when their admissions criteria either flout or bend the Code? Free schools are forbidden to give priority to independent feeder schools. But Langley Hall Primary Academy in Stroud gives priority to children attending the paid-for, attached nursery, Wellingtons, after children whose home is in an ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "UPDATE The Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) has emailed me to say that the information on their website which I quoted above is incorrect. OSA had not updated the page after the new Admission Code came into force. ......"

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paul reeve: I went to a state school and eventually taught in one and I am appalled by what’s happening to them now.

I believe that all children should have equality of opportunity in education and, as far as I am concerned, that means no privilege due to an accident of birth and it also means the end of Public Schools. Unfortunately this is unlikely to happen as too many people with influence have a vested interests in maintaining the status quo. As a ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by paul reeve: ""Those who are born poor are more likely to stay poor and those who inherit privilege are more likely to pass on privilege in England than in any comparable country. For those of us who believe in social justice, this ......"

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Fiona Millar: Support Labour action against sneaky changes to the Admissions Code

The School Admissions Code and regulations are now in Parliament. Labour has ‘prayed against’ them by means of an Early Day Motion number 2618. This should mean that these regulations will have to be debated rather than go through without debate. The Government is making much of the extension of the right to object to the Adjudicator  in the new Admissions ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Ben Taylor: "Hamish I would think variation in selective admission tests MIGHT be a good thing since the schools could potentially structure 11+ to be less "learnable" through tuition, and instead be designed for potential. There is no incentive to race for the ......"

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Allan Beavis: The best performing schools in London are Local Authority funded community, voluntary aided and foundation schools

A study published by CentreForum shows that nine London boroughs - Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, Redbridge, Barnet, Hackney, Camden, Sutton and Tower Hamlets - rank amongst the 10 best local authorities in England for the quality of their state schools. The study examines the educational attainment of public sector schools in London compared to the other major regions ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Allan Beavis: "There's no point or need to repeat yourself Charlie. I've already responded in full to your assertions. I think you overstate when you claim I effectively call you a liar. Is this a milder form of smear than the "trotskyite", ......"

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Fiona Millar: Allison Pearson needs to do her homework

In the Daily Telegraph today journalist Allison Pearson claims that a return to selective education would restore the UK “to the premier league”. She trots out the usual misinformation about the so called ‘golden age’ of pre comprehensive English education in which“children from modest backgrounds” were able “ to compete with offspring of the wealthy for university places, thus breaching ... read more and comment →

108 comments

Latest comment by David Birch: "My experience of teaching in a London grammar school in the 70s bears this article out. It was virtually taken for granted that the bottom of the three forms of entry would not perform well at O Level; at the ......"

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Ian Taylor: Michaela Community School Doubles Your Chances of a School Place for September 2012

On the website of the proposed Michaela Community School it states “By applying to MCS, you will not jeopardise the secondary school place you previously chose in October. Applying to MCS will simply ensure you have two school choices on National Offers' Day - 1st March.” So why would a parent not apply to MCS? It is a free extra ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Jennifer Sandsterson: "Doing a bit of research - the new "proposed" Deputy Headteacher was head of maths a south London school for all of two years. As this was a new school he probably had little chance to show leadership and ......"

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