The great grammar debate – are grammar schools truly better than comprehensives?

Are grammar schools any more successful than their comprehensive counterparts? The evidence is conflicting, with strong arguments on each side. Alex Jones investigates.

At the end of 2014, the Independent carried a story which concluded that grammar schools are no more successful than comprehensive schools at getting pupils into elite universities. ‘Working-class pupils are just as likely to get a degree after attending a comprehensive school as a grammar school’, the article stated. The piece was underpinned by in-depth analysis of the educational histories of more than 7,000 people, carried out by researchers at the Institute of Education and the University of Manchester.

Create an account to read this article

£7.00+ VAT

One-off purchase

Purchase and Download today

Register for free

No Credit Card required

Register for free
Access to 3 free articles
Free TeachingTimes Report every month

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#88103"
  ["title"]=>
  string(51) "The GCSE And A Level Results Will Just Not Be Fair!"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(5) "Blogs"
    [1]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(81) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/the-gcse-and-a-level-results-will-just-not-be-fair/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1596720180)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-88103-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(191) "The new exam results based on a system of teacher expectations and school benchmarking, will not be accurate or fair to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, argues Professor Nicola Ingram"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(371) "... their performance of previous years and thus sustain their relational position (whether low or high) in the overall pecking order of school performance. This is great news for private and grammar schools but unfairly penalises improving comprehensives through holding them in their place. It is well recognised that the English ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(6) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(51) "The GCSE And A Level Results Will Just Not Be Fair!"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["author"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Nicola Ingram"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(191) "The new exam results based on a system of teacher expectations and school benchmarking, will not be accurate or fair to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, argues Professor Nicola Ingram"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5750) "With exam results day looming in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, young people across the nations will be nervous, just as they are every August, as they gear up to receive their GCSE and A Level grades. But unlike other years, this year’s cohort are receiving grades for exams they did not sit, bringing additional uncertainty and trepidation to the whole affair. As the UK went into lockdown in March, schools were closed and GCSE and A Level exams (and their equivalents in Scotland) were cancelled, necessitating exam regulators across the four nations to devise a new system of grade allocation. The resulting solution will see grades delivered on 13th and 20th August based on teachers’ predictions, benchmarked against a school’s performance in previous year’s exams. Coronavirus regimeThe new Coronavirus assessment regime does not involve a well-regulated process and the potential for bias is unprecedented, with teacher judgments playing a significant role in outcomes. Furthermore, the new system unfairly favours schools with a sustained level of high performance (such as private schools and grammar schools) over schools that are improving (and these are more likely to be comprehensives or secondary schools), as grades will be adjusted in line with historical school performance. Equivalent exam results in Scotland were delivered on 4th August and while the overall pass rate had increased by several percentage points early analyses indicate that pupils from deprived areas had their outcomes downgraded more significantly than their better off counterparts, through a similar adjustment process to be used in the other nations.The fallout from this across the UK could be significant asinherent biases in the schooling system could lead to already disadvantaged pupilsreceiving lower grades than they deserve. Working-class young people, youngpeople from certain Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and young peoplewith disabilities may be particularly impacted by unconscious bias andmisrecognition of ability. Previous research shows that these groups are morelikely to have their performance underpredicted and are less likely to be ableto successfully access appeals processes. Predicated gradesTeachers in schools have been asked to make judgments on their students’ anticipated exam performance if schooling had continued as usual. There are no hard and fast rules about what accounts for evidence in making these potentially life-changing decisions. Judgments may entail a pupil’s previous performance in class and in formative assessments within the last couple of years; they may even consider the pupil’s whole history of performance whilst at the school, including consideration of minimum expected bands assigned to pupils from the beginning of secondary school on the basis of SAT performance in year 6. Whatever approach is taken it is going to involve fine grained judgments and subjective expectations. When teachers have decided upon individual grades, they are then required to rank order their students within each grade boundary, based on their perceptions of the likelihood of each student to achieve that grade. Finally, the determinations are sent to OFQUAL/CCEA/QW who look at the overall profile of grades from each school and make adjustments in line with each schools’ historical performance in order to reproduce outcomes that align with previous years.Individual Biases andSystem BiasesWhile there is no doubt that teachers want to see their pupils receive the highest possible exam results, there will be winners and losers in the makeshift assessment response, and the likely casualties will be the groups that are not traditionally favoured by the current structures of the education system. The new assessment approach brings with it the risk that inequalities will be further exacerbated and entrenched as young people from working-class and some minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to experience the consequences of teachers’ unconscious bias and grade under-prediction (Sutton Trust 2020). It can be difficult for teachers to separate pupils’ behaviour from expected performance, and their knowledge and understanding of a young person’s potential is often limited to a pupils’ willingness to perform and engage in the classroom. This leaves a lot of room to misread, misjudge and underestimate pupils who are challenged by the dominant culture of the formal classroom, which research shows, favours the white middle-classes. The pupils who often surprise teachers the most with unexpectedly high exam performance tend to be those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is difficult to conceive of the new system being able to take account of and attempt to mitigate these inequalities.Beyond the issue of individual unconscious bias is the issue of system bias. The Coronavirus assessment response is designed to actually maintain the hierarchies of the system as it ensures that schools reproduce their performance of previous years and thus sustain their relational position (whether low or high) in the overall pecking order of school performance. This is great news for private and grammar schools but unfairly penalises improving comprehensives through holding them in their place. It is well recognised that the English education system generates stark inequalities, and there is no evidence to suggest that these have been considered in devising the response to 2020 exam assessments. In effect we have been offered a solution that supports class and race based social reproduction. AppealsWhen the"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "great"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "schools"
        [4]=>
        string(6) "better"
        [5]=>
        string(14) "comprehensives"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(2) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(5) "Blogs"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["tags"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(5) "Exams"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Blogs

The GCSE And A Level Results Will Just Not Be Fair!

6 Aug 2020

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43266"
  ["title"]=>
  string(59) "Don’t Like Mondays – providing hope for the disaffected"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(24) "Professional Development"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(48) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/dont-like-mondays/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1473682834)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43266-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(199) "How can schools and their staff make a difference for the great number of disenfranchised young people? Sonia Blandford explores a way forward along the Achievement for All journey."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(406) "... day and focus on wider, bigger,better outcomes for the children in your school. It isbeing welcomed into schools struggling to help childrenmake progress, and schools who are already deemedoutstanding but who don’t want to stand still. Primaries,comprehensives, grammar schools, special schools,Academies and pupil referral units are ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(59) "Don’t Like Mondays – providing hope for the disaffected"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(199) "How can schools and their staff make a difference for the great number of disenfranchised young people? Sonia Blandford explores a way forward along the Achievement for All journey."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(2) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "great"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "schools"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(4673) "……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Policy andpractice17Don’t Like Mondays –providing hope for thedisaffectedHow can schools and their staff make a difference for the great number of disenfranchisedyoung people? Sonia Blandford explores a way forward along the Achievement for Alljourney.in education or employment, half of them not deemedwork ready. The tantalising knowledge is that througheducation their lives could be different, their self-beliefsturdier, their achievements greater, and their futures somuch more in their control. That is why we all go intoteaching isn’t it? The belief that it could be different andthe understanding that as part of an education system wecan have a profound and positive impact on all childrenwho move through our country’s schools.■■■ Why I’m in teaching – ‘Our chance tochange their world’What keeps me awake at night is, I am guessing, whatkeeps others, and particularly many headteachers, awakeat night: the pupils whose futures seem to be mapped outby their background, personal circumstances or specialneeds. These are the children and young people whoreally ‘Don’t Like Mondays’. These are the vast number ofyoung people – over a million at last count – who are not……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Don’t Like Mondays – providing hope for the disaffected ■■■■■18■■■ Stepping back and seeing the biggerpicture.But for so many – too many – teachers and headteachersthere is the stark realisation that many pupils – pupilsjust like my own children – seem out of reach in anenvironment where heads and their staff can feel forcedto focus on the ones who are progressing and who canhelp them meet targets. And while they’re doing that,they’re already busy firefighting as they prepare forthe return of Ofsted, deal with social or mental healthissues among the pupils, cope with discontent amongtheir staff, or address problems with families who seemon the fringes of the school community. That can bethe experience of a leadership team in an outstandingschools or a school in special measures.While they are fighting those fires headteachers tell us theyoften live with the fear, and too often the reality, that thosepupils who inspired them into this profession will remainwhere they are, and that they won’t make the difference tothem they know they could and should be making.The first question I ask the headteachers I meet is whatwould happen if they continued to do what they were doingevery day, every week, every year for the rest of their careers.What would happen if they never got the chance to standback and reflect on their original ambitions when they tookthe post? What would happen if they had chance to exploreand draw on ideas outside their own frame of reference tohelp them achieve those ambitions?What is your view? Why did you enter teaching?Achievement for All 3As is designed to empower headsto do just that. It is proving every day it can give youback the advantage by helping you take your eyes ofthe minutiae of the day and focus on wider, bigger,better outcomes for the children in your school. It isbeing welcomed into schools struggling to help childrenmake progress, and schools who are already deemedoutstanding but who don’t want to stand still. Primaries,comprehensives, grammar schools, special schools,Academies and pupil referral units are all among thethousands now signing up. It’s a programme that worksirrespective of a schools’ governance, structure, fundingsource or admissions policy.Have you considered accessing coaching, information,training and on-line support to help you develop yourpractice in engaging those pupils with challenges, needs,or those experiencing disadvantage?A new way of closing that learning gapAchievement for All 3As started life back in 2009. A statefunded pilot programme it was, quite simply, set up tohelp"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "great"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "schools"
        [4]=>
        string(6) "better"
        [5]=>
        string(14) "comprehensives"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(24) "Professional Development"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Professional Development

Don’t Like Mondays – providing hope for the disaffected

12 Sep 2016

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#35241"
  ["title"]=>
  string(31) "Part Two: Teaching And Learning"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(16) "Digital Learning"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(61) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/part-two-teaching-and-learning/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1104537601)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-35241-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(230) "The second of six special sections sponsored by Capita Education Services aimed at helping schools to use ICT to achieve their long–term improvement goals. This issue: Teaching and learning.
Folder: Interactive Issue 65"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(387) "... debate is concentrated onpoor-performing or mediocre schools, but accordingto the team at Parkstone Grammar School in Poole,the debate is just as relevant for schools that arealready strong performers.The school is a selective, all-girl grammar school ofover 1,000 pupils. Central to the school’s philosophyis that ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(31) "Part Two: Teaching And Learning"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(230) "The second of six special sections sponsored by Capita Education Services aimed at helping schools to use ICT to achieve their long–term improvement goals. This issue: Teaching and learning.
Folder: Interactive Issue 65"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(7) "schools"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5770) "23Sponsored by Capita Education Services23Sponsored by Capita Education ServicesIn this issue:Could do better?Good use of pupil data can have a significant impact on teaching, explains Bob Hardwickof Parkstone Grammar School.The difference between good and greatJohn Christian feels data is essential in helping teaching staff to identify where they needto target their teaching efforts.Teaching and learning – Help sheetA step-by-step guide on how to get the data you hold in your management informationsystem out to the teachers that need it, in an easy-to-understand format.STRATEGICLEADERSHIPSUPPLEMENTThis is the second in a series of six featuresproduced in conjunction with CapitaEducation Services which, combinedtogether, will provide schools with acomprehensive plan of action to achievetheir long-term improvement goals.Part Two: Teaching and learning24Sponsored by Capita Education ServicesThe subject of school improvement is a hottopic amongst heads, governors and manypoliticians. Often the debate is concentrated onpoor-performing or mediocre schools, but accordingto the team at Parkstone Grammar School in Poole,the debate is just as relevant for schools that arealready strong performers.The school is a selective, all-girl grammar school ofover 1,000 pupils. Central to the school’s philosophyis that improvement should be part of the culture.“We live by the adage that there is always room todo better and I think this creates a desire withinthe teaching staff to constantly search for new waysto help our students learn more effectively,” saysassistant headteacher Bob Hardwick.The school prioritises the use of pupil data intheir SIMS management information system topinpoint, easily and accurately, exactly what eachstudent is capable of and identify if they are under-performing. A mix of past assessment informationand predication data from organisations such asYellis and Fischer Family Trust is imported intoSIMS and, using analysis tools within the system,a child’s ongoing progress is plotted against theirpredicted results.“It helps identify those pupils that often goundetected under less formal targeting systems.We are more likely to uncover whether the quietstudent who always hands her homework in onCoulddo better?This issue’s case studylooks at how makingbetter use of pupil datastored on amanagementinformation system canhave a real impact onpupil performance.time and gets average grades is actually fulfillingher full potential. Once the analysis has identifiedwhich students can do better, the teaching teamcan then spend time encouraging them to haveconfidence in their true ability and challenge themto extend their learning,” says Hardwick.Individual accessEvery teacher has direct access to the target datain SIMS, either from their laptops or a desktop PCin the classroom, and this has been vital to thesystem’s success. Previous paper-based systemswere not referred to as frequently and target sheetswere often mislaid. Thanks to individual access,many of the teachers are using SIMS daily to recordhomework and assessment marks, so that they cantrack progress against targets on a week-by-weekbasis and therefore see immediately whenintervention is required.Once the system has identified students thatneed support, a number of strategies areemployed to help them. One of the simplest isapparently one of the most successful: “We havea number of students who are what I call passivelearners. Their class notes are what they use tounderstand a subject, rather than their ownanalysis of the information presented to them.They are learning information effectively butperhaps lack the confidence to take a sidewayslook at what they are learning to question it toany great degree and therefore develop a trueunderstanding of the subject. These cansometimes be the pupils with the greatestpotential. Simply sharing the prediction datawith these students is one way of encouragingthem to achieve more. When they see theprediction graphs in black and white, it isdifficult for them to deny what they are capableof, and this external confirmation of theirabilities boosts self-esteem and engages themwith the learning process.”The data analysis has also been helpful inidentifying those pupils who are gifted andtalented in certain subjects and in improvinglearning provision for them. “Once we inform themthat we think they may be gifted in one area, ithas an amazing effect on their self-confidence.They respond better in the classroom and becomemore engaged with their learning.”Some departments in the school started to usethe data in SIMS to identify where best practice ishappening within the classroom. The next stage is touncover what it is these teachers are doing differentlyso that the whole school can learn from them.Virtual learningThe school also uses a Virtual LearningEnvironment (VLE) to extend learning past the25Sponsored by Capita Education ServicesThe challenge for schools today is to create an environment that develops youngpeople ready for a modern workplace, where individual thoughts and contributionsare held at a premium. To do this, we need to constantly assess the teachingoffered in our schools and ask whether we are accurately assessing the needs,learning styles and talents of each individual pupil and allowing them to flourish.There are schools that are successful and those that are less successful indelivering excellent quality teaching and learning. The surprising thing is thatthere may not be a great deal of difference, in terms of resources, pupil intake orteacher skill set, between the"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "great"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [2]=>
        string(6) "debate"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [4]=>
        string(7) "schools"
        [5]=>
        string(6) "better"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(16) "Digital Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Digital Learning

Part Two: Teaching And Learning

1 Jan 2005

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43692"
  ["title"]=>
  string(54) "Attitudes Towards 'Good Schools' & Selective Education"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(50) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/good-schools_260617/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1498225972)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43692-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(210) "This NatCen report reveals what the public thinks makes a good school and gets beneath the skin of what drives attitudes towards selective education and grammar schools.
Leadership Briefing 11.11(131)"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(380) "... confident,selfassuredadultsSummaryThis NatCen report reveals what the public thinks makes a good school and gets beneath theskin of what drives attitudes towards selective education and grammar schools.The grammar school debate raises questions that go to the heart of government education policy:What sort of schools do people want? Is ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(63) "Attitudes Towards 'Good Schools' & Selective Education"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(7) "schools"
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(210) "This NatCen report reveals what the public thinks makes a good school and gets beneath the skin of what drives attitudes towards selective education and grammar schools.
Leadership Briefing 11.11(131)"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(3) {
        [0]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "schools"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5822) "Leadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.ATTITUDES TOWARDS ‘GOOD SCHOOLS’ &SELECTIVE EDUCATIONKeywordsGood schools,selectiveeducation,grammar,educationpolicy, academicsuccess,disadvantagedbackgrounds,confident,selfassuredadultsSummaryThis NatCen report reveals what the public thinks makes a good school and gets beneath theskin of what drives attitudes towards selective education and grammar schools.The grammar school debate raises questions that go to the heart of government education policy:What sort of schools do people want? Is selective education ‘fair’? Does academic selection help orhinder social mobility?This report gives voice to the general public, exploring their views on good schools and gettingbeneath the skin of what drives attitudes towards selective education and grammar schools.Main Findings: ■ Slightly more than half, 53%, would support the expansion of grammar schools; this was one ofthe Conservatives’ manifesto pledges before the last general election. ■ While most thought grammars were very good at enabling children to achieve academic success,they were not seen as being much better at preparing pupils for work than secondary modernschools. ■ As many as two-thirds believe that grammar schools level the playing field for children fromdisadvantaged backgrounds either some, 54%, or all, 13%, of the time. ■ The public was relatively optimistic about the chances of a bright child from a disadvantagedbackground getting into a grammar school – 45% of respondents thought there was somechance and 18% thought there was a high chance. ■ What is a ‘good school’? ■ There was a very clear emphasis on preparation for life and for work. Top of the list was theability of schools to produce pupils who become confident and selfassured adults. A greaterproportion of respondents (84%) considered this to be a ‘very important’ attribute than anyother. Pupils going on to find fulfilling employment was also very important for most people(80%). Academic outcomes were seen as significantly less important than might be expected.Although there was an emphasis on pupils making good academic progress no matter whatstandard they start at (with 68% thinking this was very important), achieving good GCSEswas only rated as very important by 57% and accessing university was lower still at 22%.The social aspects of secondary school were important for respondents. Pupils being ‘well-Week Commencing 26th June 2017http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/1442622/grammar-school-selective-education-report-final.pdfhttp://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/1442622/grammar-school-selective-education-report-final.pdfLeadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.presented and well-behaved’ was considered very important by 72% of respondents and‘mixing with others from different backgrounds’ was very important for just over half therespondents (53%). It was clear from the responses that ‘good schools’ are not just aboutacademic success, but defined more by work readiness, personal characteristics and makingsure all children progress. ■ What do people think about selection? ■ The majority (61%) opposed the idea of selection, agreeing with the statement, ‘All childrenshould go to the same kind of secondary school, no matter how well or badly they do atprimary school’. However, a significant minority are in favour of selection on the basis ofability which could be considered surprising given that only 5% of pupils in state secondaryschools are currently educated in grammar schools. ■ What do people think selective education achieves? ■ Most people (69%) think that going to a grammar school has a positive effect on theacademic attainment of the pupils who pass the entrance exam and get a place. Just overone-quarter (26%) think it has no effect and a small minority (5%) actually think grammarschools have a negative effect. Age and political views are the strongest drivers of attitudestowards the effects of grammar schools on attainment. ■ There was very strong support for the idea that pupils who go to grammar schools achievegood GCSE grades (81%) and that a high proportion of pupils go to university (76%). ■ What about those who don’t get in? ■ Views on secondary moderns were mixed. Over a third of respondents (35%) think theymake educational outcomes for pupils worse, with a larger proportion (45%) thinking theyhave no effect on attainment, and only a fifth (20%) thinking they have a positive effect. ■  Secondary moderns were more likely than grammar schools to be considered effective athelping pupils mix with others from different backgrounds (77% compared to 38%), and tosupport academic progress for all pupils no matter what standard they start at (62%, 50%).As expected, they were far less likely to be thought of as effective for academic outcomes(GCSE grades and attending university). ■ What does the evidence say? ■ Government education data by the Education Policy Institute shows that the attainmentlevels of grammar school pupils are indeed high with 97% of pupils achieving five A*-CGCSEs compared with the national average across state-funded schools of 57%. ■ There is also evidence that"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(5) {
        [0]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [1]=>
        string(6) "debate"
        [2]=>
        string(7) "grammar"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "schools"
        [4]=>
        string(6) "better"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

Attitudes Towards 'Good Schools' & Selective Education

23 Jun 2017