Fairer Schools: Three Asks for Andy Burnham
Three practical reforms to make school admissions fairer and move England closer to a truly comprehensive education system.
Comprehensive Future is calling on Andy Burnham’s government to take three practical steps towards ending the unfairness within our school system.
Our commitment to ending academic selection remains unchanged. But alongside this long-term goal, we want the government to act now: end 11-plus selection in partially selective schools that suggest they are ‘comprehensive’, examine the impact of the 11-plus on children, and expose inequalities in access to grammar schools.
Our three asks
- End academic selection in partially selective schools. Schools should not select pupils through an 11-plus test while describing themselves as comprehensive.
- Commission an independent review of the 11-plus and children’s wellbeing. Put children’s experiences at the heart of an independent examination of the pressures and consequences of selection at age 10 or 11.
- Collect and publish information about who takes and passes the 11-plus. Linking test records with the National Pupil Database would expose inequalities in access to grammar schools and help identify the barriers different groups of pupils face.
These reforms would challenge selective admissions, strengthen public scrutiny and help build the case for wider change. They are stepping stones towards a truly comprehensive education system.
Join the discussion on 25 November
Our forthcoming AGM and panel event will explore these three asks and how we can campaign for change.
Karen Wespieser will discuss partially selective schools and the case for ending academic selection in their admissions.
Fiona Lakin, a doctoral researcher at the University of Manchester, will explore the impact of the 11-plus on children’s wellbeing, drawing on her research into stakeholders’ experiences of academic selection at ages 10–11.
A third speaker will be announced shortly.
There will be time for audience questions and discussion. Supporters and anyone interested in fairer school admissions will be warmly welcomed.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more about each proposal, the evidence behind each, and explain how supporters can help make the case for reform.
