Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
KCC wants all schools to be good – not only grammars
‘This needs to be a whole system approach which ensures all children can go to a good school’
Government plans for new grammar schools risk being a “partial solution for a wider problem”, according to county council education chiefs.
Kent County Council says that while it welcomes the move to more selective schooling to help poorer brighter children, the government needs to consider it in the context of how all schools can improve social mobility.
It points out that even if new grammars are permitted “there will equally be a need to improve the quality of education for the majority of children who do not attend grammar schools”.
The authority’s views are set out in an 18-page statement responding to the government’s consultation paper Schools That Work For Everyone.
It was released to the KM Media Group after a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
The statement cautions against the government assuming it is only by expanding and building new grammars that improvements to the prospects of poorer brighter children can be made.
“This needs to be a whole system approach which ensures all children can go to a good school and make good progress. There is a danger this is a partial solution for a wider problem that needs a comprehensive strategy.”
It underlines the point by saying it welcomes the move “as long as this is part of a strategy to have a whole system approach to improving opportunity, out- comes and therefore social mobility for children from low income families.
Most of these children will continue to be educated in non-selective schools. It also calls for education authorities to be given a central role in deciding whether there should be expansions or new grammars.
And it says it is crucial that existing grammars give priority to those children eligible for “pupil premium” in their admissions arrangements.
The submission comes after the news that 30 head teachers of non-selective schools in the county had written to the prime minister to set out their “vehement opposition” to the idea of more grammars
The council’s views will be seen as significant as Kent is the largest selective area in the country, with 32 grammars.
It set up its own inquiry into how children from poorer backgrounds could access grammars, with a report released in May setting out a series of recommendations.
The flagship pledge has led to bitter divisions and there are reports that Mrs May has been told that her hopes of seeing a new grammar open by 2020 will not be realised. Cllr Roger Gough, KCC cabinet member for education, said:
“For us the focus is on what is a sensible way forward. We wouldn’t want to see wholesale conversions for expansions which would raise the proportion [of grammar places] dramatically.”
He added: “There is a significant differential in attainment across Kent, so for us what is important is to ensure there are good opportunities for the 75% of children who do not go to grammars.
“It is equally important that there are good opportunities across the whole system.”
Councils and not the government should decide whether new grammars should be permitted, he said.
“I cannot see that anyone has a better overview of that then the local authority.
“I think ultimately people will expect those that are democratically elected to take the decision on what is a key balance in the system.”