Right now Year 6 children across the country are sitting their SATs and every year it attracts a hue and cry from critics. Now the official opposition are saying this valuable measure to push up standards would be abolished if they came into power. And Ofsted has also announced that it will be taking less…
A survey of primary headteachers published today shows that an overwhelming majority of them think SATs as too stressful for teachers and the children. It doesn’t matter how many of them decry the use of SATs the fact is independent verification of how children are performing is essential if we’re to ensure young people reach…
When selective education was scrapped in the 1960s in favour of the ‘fairer’ comprehensive system many believed we were entering a brave new world, where everyone could learn on an equal footing. Fast forward 50 years and the stark reality is that the very people comprehensives were supposed to help are the ones that are…
A study of 5,000 children has shown pupils’ mental wellbeing is not affected by taking the 11+ exam – and this does not surprise me in the least. The University College London (UCL) research also showed that children report similar levels of wellbeing and school satisfaction regardless of whether they attend grammar school or live in…
The first round of government funding to allow grammar schools to expand is underway – and the pre-requisite is that poorer children are given more access to these schools. Some grammars – such as Bournemouth School for Girls – have changed their admission policies to try and enable this. In Bournemouth, they have given higher…