Comprehensive Future has learned that grammar school parent fundraising groups are profiting from 11-plus practice exams. These charitable associations sell the chance to sit a ‘mock’ 11-plus for between £50 and £90 per pupil. Two grammar school PTAs have set up limited company trading arms to handle profits from their test enterprises. In one case, the mock tests appear to be creating profits in excess of £200,000 a year.
Dr Nuala Burgess, Chair of Comprehensive Future, said, “I was appalled to learn that these PTA are making a fast buck out of parents’ 11-plus anxiety. The selling of mock 11-plus tests is nothing short of a money-spinning racket. It offers the well-heeled yet another way to buy advantage and ensures that the poor and disadvantaged are kept out of grammar schools. I make no apology for strong words here. I am outraged by this practice. Not only is it highly questionable for a PTA to be involved in the business of buying advantage in the competition for grammar school places but, as evidence repeatedly shows, the 11-plus is unnecessary – selective education does not produce better academic results.”
In researching the test familiarisation fundraisers Comprehensive Future and Schools Week found all the PTA offered free test places to disadvantaged pupils, but in every case the places were described as limited in number. The FAQ at Wilson’s grammar school stated the free places ‘will be offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.’ Wallington County Grammar School PTFA offer ‘up to a maximum of 5% of total test places’ free for poorer families. However, the nearest primary school to Wallington Grammar school educates 22% free school meals pupils.
Nuala Burgess said, “I think it’s wrong to limit the number of free places. To avoid the appearance that parents are able to buy advantage, mock 11-plus tests should be free and open to all.”
Comprehensive Future’s research involved the study of PTA charity accounts, company accounts and websites about the mock exams, along with Freedom of Information requests to the schools involved.
Sutton Grammar School PTA appears to run the most profitable test, selling mocks at the school for £60 and online mocks for £40. The PTA’s trading company, SGSPTA Ltd holds reserves of £270,529 in its 2023 accounts. Wallington Grammar school PTFA is also making significant profits. Its trading arm WCGSPTFA Ltd donated £111,704 in profits from its 2023 tests.
Dr Nuala Burgess said, “The fact that grammar schools are state funded schools allowed to select which pupils they admit is an unfair privilege. It would appear that some grammars are not above abusing this privilege by cashing in.”
Townley Grammar School in Bexley runs their mock test ‘in conjunction’ with Atom Learning, an 11-plus tuition business with a turnover of more than £7 million. The school website links to the test tutoring business, and explains, ‘Whilst your child sits the test, Atom Learning will host a free parent information session on ‘How to Prepare for the Bexley Test’. They will cover how to support your child’s preparation, how to identify their areas for improvement, and useful information on the transition to Year 7.’
Nuala Burgess said, “We were shocked to discover a school website providing a link to an 11-plus tuition business – and one which charges as much as £69.99 a month. It is completely inappropriate for a school to encourage parents to buy advantage in the allocation of school places. At a cost of over £800 a year, the tuition is beyond the means of many families. The fact grammar school parent groups are discriminating against poorer families by selling 11-plus practice for a fee is outrageous.”
