Stories + Views: Comprehensives & Grammars

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Henry Stewart: Selection Results in Lower Grades

Ofsted have today produced a report claiming that, for those children leaving primary school with a level 5 in English and Maths, less achieved A/A* in those subjects than in selective schools. However this is not a fair comparison. They overlook that few grammar schools admit every student in their locality who gains level 5+. Most select a higher achieving minority from ... read more and comment →

36 comments

Latest comment by Tom Vance: "'there is no significant difference between the academic performance of students at Cambridge from different school/college backgrounds. This confirms the findings of the HEFCE (2003) study, which found that, at the highest levels of ability (i.e. among those students achieving ......"

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Janet Downs: The Sutton Trust is right to highlight covert selection, but tackling England’s socially-segregated school system won’t be solved by opening up private or grammar schools to a few more FSM pupils.

“…the schools in this study, by and large, are not using forms of overt selection, they are exercising covert selection,” said the Sutton Trust’s report Improving social mobility through education. The report recommended random ballots or banding across all abilities to address this issue. But the press release added a further recommendation which wasn’t in the full report. “At the same time, independent ... read more and comment →

20 comments

Latest comment by Marco Bligh: "The OECD figures showing that between 18% and 26% of UK adults have not completed upper secondary education is here, P. 19: http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/50293148.pdf These figures are further supported by the House of commons figures that show 24% of UK pupils drop out ......"

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Melissa Benn: Selective judgements

Today, the Sutton Trust publishes a report on the issue of ‘selective comprehensives’ which is getting a lot of publicity, including a spirited, but somewhat partial, debate on the Today programme, which led to the usual suggestion of increased ballotting and random allocation in order to enable more poor children access to 'good schools.' The report looks at ... read more and comment →

11 comments

Latest comment by Roger Titcombe: "Sorry Melissa and Helen Jarvis - It is not a minor point. I should have been more careful...."

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Roger Titcombe: High Performing Schools Failing Poorest Pupils

This story was in the i of 23 April. Schools Minister David Laws is bemoaning the poor performance of poor pupils in high performing schools in the richest areas of the country. He claims these schools are pocketing the Pupil Premium and that schools in areas of high deprivation do better with poor pupils. He says, "To have 65 percent of poor ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Alan: "There are outliers to 1 if you happen to be a parent like me who didn't do so well at school but who refuses to give in for one's own children. But I deeply resent how difficult it has been. ......"

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Katherine Lawson: Private vs state schools again?

Our Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, may choose to send his children to private secondary schools. On his weekly phone-in on LBC he said "It's not about whether it's private or public – in that sense you're right, it can be either. I just want the best for my child, and that's exactly what I think most people listening to ... read more and comment →

19 comments

Latest comment by Warwick Cairns: ""Let him send his children where he wishes, it’s his business and that’s that." Well, it would be if he hadn't talked about the state-private divide as being "corrosive for our society and damaging to our economy." The problem is not ......"

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Julia Cushion: My state school has given me a lot more than just 11 A*s

Firstly, I apologise for the self-congratulatory title but I really am here to talk about how brilliant my school is! I am a 16 year old girl, at the start of my AS Levels. I have been going to a comprehensive school in Caerphilly, South Wales for the entirety of my secondary education, and am staying there to do my A-levels. ... read more and comment →

5 comments

Latest comment by 3arn0wl: "You do credit to your school, your family and above all, to yourself. I wish you and your sister every success...."

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Fiona Millar: The comprehensive generation breaks through

Very much looking forward to Ed Miliband's conference speech this afternoon. I have read the early reports of what he will say and picked up the sneering comments from some commentators and others in response to his description of his comprehensive school days at Haverstock School in Camden, where I live. I think this bit of his speech matters a  lot. ... read more and comment →

34 comments

Latest comment by agov: "Really? I thought he went to Portsmouth Northern Grammar School for Boys...."

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Janet Downs: There’s money to be made out of parental anxieties especially if these are fuelled by propaganda against comprehensive schools

Walk into any bookshop and parents will be swamped by racks of books offering 11+ practice papers, SAT revision and verbal reasoning. Goggle 11+ and parents will find websites dedicated to the test (offering books, tuition etc) as well as free advice (although they’re not going to say that the 11+ is an abhorrent system likely to reject any child that doesn't ... read more and comment →

2 comments

Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Rosie - Lincolnshire is another county that advises parents that no special preparation is needed, too much pressure is counter-productive and although commercially-produced practice test papers can be purchased the NFER (which produces the 11+ tests for Lincolnshire) says "additional ......"

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Melissa Benn: End-of-term thoughts……

Sometimes, the terms we use or the terms we have foisted upon us - even by the most well meaning writers and commentators - need a little bit of deconstruction. Take the piece in today's Education Guardian , part of a long running serial following two sets of pupils over several years in selective Kent. The pupils are ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Paul: "That's a fair comment Rebecca. As I'm sure you know with your enormous expertise about forums, the usual sign of "socks" occurs when someone is losing an argument or has a point of view they strongly wish to push which is ......"

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Fiona Millar: A privileged education

Today is a special day for me. My youngest child has just finished her last A level paper and has walked out of the gates of Parliament Hill School - a  great community comprehensive school - for the last time . I want to celebrate everything our local schools have done for our family. I only slipped into writing about, and ... read more and comment →

43 comments

Latest comment by Finbar Murphy: "I am sorry that your son suffered bullying at his private school, understand why you moved him to a state school and am glad that he is thriving. This traffic is two way, however, and your anecdote is of limited ......"

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