0370 270 6000

Search

Search Mobile

collapse

already registered?

Please sign in with your existing account details.

Email address

Password

Sign in with LinkedIn

need to register?

Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.

Privacy statement - Terms and conditions

Register with LinkedIn

Forgotten your password?

collapseSign

Browne Jacobson home

Education home

Insights

Blogs

Grammar schools: the comeback?

grammar schools: the comeback?

13 November 2013

Reports suggest that the number of places at grammar schools is rising despite there being a ban on new grammar schools being established. Grammar schools are heavily oversubscribed and are expanding to meet additional demand for places from parents wanting the best education for their children. Critics of grammar schools feel that the system is socially divisive and that the 11plus exam comes too early in a child’s education to make a clear determination about their ability.

The King Edward VI Foundation state that their expansion is necessary to meet the educational needs of a wider range of pupils from varied backgrounds and is part of a broader plan to increase diversity in their pupil population across their state funded and independent schools. It is their charitable purpose and sits alongside the parental choice for such education. The question should not be whether we need such expansion but whether we can extract the best from these schools to raise standards for all children irrespective of their background.

related opinions

School uniform under media spotlight

The new academic year has started with controversy over school uniform. Last week, a government inquiry heard evidence that costs for parents are being exacerbated by compulsory branded uniform, including clothing with school logos, and operating contractual arrangements for the supply of these items with single retailers.

Education Secretary confirms DfE 'backing' for exclusions

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has confirmed that head teachers who take “the decision to either suspend or expel a pupil because they need to do it in order to be able to enforce proper and full discipline in their school, and making sure that they're protecting the whole interests of the school, will always have my backing".

Welcome news for sixth form colleges looking to academise

The Government has accepted calls from sixth form colleges to reopen the option to become academies.

RSE guidance issued - but do teachers feel ready?

In our previous blog we updated you on the new requirements to teach relationships, health and sex education (elements of which are phase specific) which will become mandatory in September 2020.

View all blogs

Richard Freeth

Partner

mailing list sign up

Select which mailings you would like to receive from us.

Sign up