We support inclusive all ability schools
The 11-plus means children face a stressful ordeal to gain a school place, and it can affect their ambition and self-worth when they fail. Selective schools educate few children from low income families or with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and they divide communities. We believe that all secondary schools should be inclusive comprehensive schools, encouraging every child to find academic success.
We support comprehensive education
We believe every secondary school in the UK should be a high quality and inclusive comprehensive school with fair admissions and no selection tests. There are 163 grammar schools and many more partially selective schools. More than 100,000 children take the 11-plus test every year. A one-off test at 10 years old is a flawed and unfair way to decide school places.
We support all ability schools
Secondary schools are more successful when they educate a balance of pupils of all abilities. Schools near grammar schools are effectively secondary modern schools. They often struggle to recruit teachers, and their curriculum and sixth form options provide less opportunity for academic education. All ability comprehensive schools are better equipped to encourage the academic potential of every child.
We support fair admissions
We believe that every family should have a good choice of local schools. Many schools are not serving their communities due to selective admission policies. Schools that offer complex entry requirements, a test for entry, or poorly designed catchment areas are unfair and discriminatory. Schools with selective admissions tend to be monopolised by wealthier families, causing social segregation and a greater likelihood that poor children attend troubled schools. We campaign for fair access to all state schools.