Possibility of new grammars backed by city foundation
King Edwards: Schools increase social mobility
THE possibility of Prime Minister Theresa May opening the way for the creation of new grammar schools has been welcomed by a selective Birmingham chain which ensures at least one in five pupils come from families on modest incomes.
The head of the King Edward VI Foundation, which runs five grammar schools in the city, said its was helping pupils from every part of society achieve good academic results, as well as excel in sport and creative arts.
Heath Monk, executive director of the foundation, said: “Grammar schools can play a role enhancing social mobility.”
The King Edward VI Foundation runs five grammar schools in Birmingham: King Edward VI Aston, King Edward VI Handsworth Girls, King Edward VI Camp Hill Boys, King Edward VI Camp Hill Girls and King Edward VI Five Ways.
It has introduced a new admissions system which means at least 20 per cent of places – or 25 per cent of places at Aston – are reserved for pupils from lower income families.
These are children who are eligible for the “pupil premium”, extra funding given by the government for pupils eligible for free school meals or who have left local authority care.
The system was introduced for pupils entering year seven, the first year of secondary school, in September 2015.
But Theresa May, who went to a grammar school herself, has come under fire over reports she was planning to give the green light to a new wave of selective schools.
Opponents argue the entrance exams used to gain access to grammar schools mean they are dominated by middle-class children while children from poorer backgrounds are left behind. But supporters of grammars say they give children from every background the chance to attend a school which helps them succeed academically and get into the very best universities.
Black Country MP Tom Watson (Lab West Bromwich East), Labour’s Deputy Leader, said creating grammar schools would turn other schools into “secondary moderns”, which were traditionally for pupils who failed entrance exams.
He said: “The Labour Party opposes Theresa May’s plan to bring back secondary modern schools in England.”
Mrs May could announce she is lifting the ban on new grammar schools as early as the October Conservative conference, at Birmingham’s ICC.
The Prime Minister’s new chief of staff, Nick Timothy, has backed new selective schools in the past. He is the son of a Birmingham steelworker and went to school at King Edwards VI Aston, one of the city’s grammar schools.
As well as the King Edward schools, there are three other grammars across the city: Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School for Boys, Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls and Handsworth Grammar School.