Part of 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.
End academic selection in partially selective schools
What we’re asking the government to do
Set a date for partially selective schools in England to stop using academic tests to select pupils for Year 7. The change would apply to future intakes only and pupils already in these schools would keep their places. These schools would then work as most comprehensives do, teaching pupils of all attainment levels, including the highest attainers.
Why it matters
Partially selective schools fill a proportion of their places, usually around 20%, using an 11-plus test, and allocate the rest through other admissions criteria. Children applying to the same local school can therefore face different routes in, with reduced places for children of lower attainment or with SEND needs. For families who consider the test route, that means an entrance exam and pressure to pay for expensive tutoring.
New partial selection was banned by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, but schools that already had qualifying arrangements in place at the start of the 1997/98 school year were allowed to continue. We believe around 40 schools still use academic selection for a proportion of places, though no one keeps an official count. Nearly three decades on, we’re asking the government to end that exception.
The schools are unlikely to change on their own. Once a school drops the test, it cannot bring it back, which leads to a bizarre situation where some undersubscribed schools keep running an 11 plus test “just in case” they need it in a future year. A national date for ending the test removes that dilemma.
Research shows that poorer pupils are less likely to pass 11 plus tests. Partially selective schools admit a smaller proportion of pupils through a selection test than grammar schools, but the same problems occur, with tuition skewing places to wealthier families, and disadvantaged pupils less likely to pass the exam. We asked five partially selective schools how many free-school-meal pupils won places through the test, and so far the replies have been ‘we don’t know.’ The 11-plus test is well known to cause barriers for access, and these schools appear not to consider the impact of their selection test.
What the evidence tells us
A 2017 study by the National Foundation for Educational Research examined 38 partially selective schools and found no significant positive effect on overall attainment compared with similar pupils in non-selective schools.
- Lower attainers lose out. Pupils with low prior attainment were up to 8 percentage points less likely to achieve five good GCSEs, including English and maths, than similar pupils in non-selective schools.
- Higher attainers don’t gain. High-attaining pupils did not perform significantly better, and were up to 5 percentage points less likely to make expected progress in maths.
The researchers also warned that complicated admissions rules could create an extra barrier for disadvantaged families.
Support for this proposal
“The School Standards and Framework Act of 1998 legislated to prevent any school adopting partial academic selection for the first time, but those schools that had been doing it continuously for some time were allowed to continue as a ‘transitional arrangement’. Unfortunately the legislation did not include a ‘sunset clause’ which would have ended the concession after a fixed period and the issue has never been revisited. Twenty years should be enough ‘transition’ for anybody and it is high time that the current Labour government finished what its predecessor started!”
— Alan Parker, former Director of Education and Schools Adjudicator
What we’re doing
We’re asking schools for figures on who gets a place through academic tests and through other admissions routes, so we can see whether disadvantaged pupils are getting a fair chance. We also want to hear from families who have applied to a partially selective school. If you’d like to share your experience, get in touch.