So there’s £50 million to fund more Kent grammars? Is it because a fully selective county like Kent, that puts 15,000 primary school pupils a year through an 11-plus test is a system that actually works? Let's look at Kent’s results. THREAD
Kent’s GCSE results are fine. Nothing extra special, and plenty of comprehensive areas outperform us. 
We’re a little below average for pupil progress. Yes, we carefully sort and divide 35k pupils to grammars and 65k to high schools for an overall ‘slightly below average.’
So what about A Levels? We’re using a special test to put 30% of the “cleverest” kids into very academic schools. This must be working, right!? Hmm. Not particularly impressive.
So how about Kent’s disadvantaged pupils? In Kent primary schools poorer children seem to do okay. We’re actually first out of our statistical neighbours.
Then something seems to happen at secondary level. This is after the 11-plus test, where we place 6% of Pupil Premium pupils in grammar schools and 27% of Pupil Premium pupils in non-selective schools.
What about for the EBacc? That’s GCSE English, maths, sciences, geography or history and a language. This is particularly poor.
Here’s Kent County Council’s conclusion on secondary school results for their disadvantaged pupils.
Their report concludes that this causes low social mobility and fixing it is a ‘top priority.’
Yet KCC have been lobbying for more grammar schools which don’t even help their poorer pupils. They spent £19 million on a snazzy new ‘annexe’ grammar school that educates just 4% pupil premium pupils! (The local non-selective school educates 20%.)
If KCC is serious about improving attainment gaps why don’t they stop dividing our schools into ‘academic schools’ and ‘less academic’ schools, and putting almost all disadvantaged and SEN pupils into the ‘high schools?’ (Kent’s name for secondary moderns.)
All children need a high quality academic education and that surely works best in all ability schools that have equal status, equal chance of recruiting well qualified teachers, and ambition for ALL children.
Kent’s school divide doesn’t work. Damian Hinds £50 million is propping up the discredited 11-plus test. Expanding selection is only likely to make things worse in counties like ours, not better.
All the stats are from KCC’s Vision and Priorities for Improvement education plan. It would be great if our council showed true vision and admitted the 11-plus system is pointless and simply doesn't work. ENDS. kelsi.org.uk/__data/assets/…
