State school pupils are being left behind

I am writing concerning your article ‘Plans to postpone the Kent Test’ for selection to grammar school (June 25).

This explains that the Test is to be delayed until mid October to enable pupils to settle back into school life before the Kent Test, if indeed this happens.

Unfortunately ‘settling back’ does nothing to address the massive discrimination being built in against state school children whose families are unable to afford the high level of private tutoring others will purchase to make up the loss of curriculum time since March.

Two-thirds of the marks in the Kent Test are awarded for curriculum English and maths questions and the extra month of schooling now being offered promises little, if anything, to make up for the loss.

As a result, the profile of grammar school entrants in September 2021 will change considerably, with a much higher proportion of private school children being offered places, many, if not most, of whom are receiving a full remote curriculum at present, along with school coaching. State schools are not allowed to offer preparation for the Kent Test.

There is also still considerable uncertainty about the coronavirus state at that time, with the possibility of a second wave, some families perhaps being quarantined or children with the virus and others simply frightened.

There are solutions to address all these problems but at present there is no evidence that KCC is interested in supporting ‘ordinary families’ or those children on Pupil Premium. Currently, 10% of Kent grammar school places go to children whose schools receive Pupil Premium for them, above the national average of 8% but I fear this proportion will fall sharply under the current proposals

Peter Read Independent Education Adviser