First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

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salsa
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Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:59 am

First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by salsa »

Hi all,

Have you seen this article:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education ... 260264.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
mystery
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by mystery »

Oh this sounds so like the Sevenoaks satellite grammar school over again .......... there isn't one yet by the way, but Sevenoaks is probably too far away from any other grammar school for it ever really to pass as a satellite and not a new school.

I can't read the whole article. Can you tell us more? How far apart are the two sites - in Bucks and Berks I presume? It might be more feasible than the things that keep on being put forward in Kent.
southbucks3
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by southbucks3 »

Any new annex would have to be from a Berkshire gs, as the entry exam is different in bucks.
salsa
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by salsa »

Okay, here are some excerpts from the full article:

"The prospect of the first new grammar school in a generation has been welcomed by Theresa May in a move that could signal a change in the direction of Tory education policy.
The home secretary indicated her support for a feasibility study to open a “satellite” grammar school in her constituency of Maidenhead, Berkshire, which currently has a comprehensive education system.
The new state-funded selective school would be a second campus of an existing grammar school based in a selective borough near by. It would thereby skirt legislation that bans the creation of new grammar schools.

"Michael Gove, vetoed plans for a similar grammar school annex in Sevenoaks, Kent, last year, saying that it would effectively create a new selective school. He instead allowed a free school to open on Kent council's chosen site.
The fresh proposal comes from the Conservative-run Windsor and Maidenhead council... The council is looking at ways to create more secondary school places in Maidenhead, which has selective school systems on three sides in Buckinghamshire, Slough and Reading. One option is for a satellite campus of one or more nearby grammar schools, although this is strongly opposed by the heads of local comprehensive schools.
A statement on May's constituency website said that she "welcomed plans to consider the option of a 'satellite' grammar school. Grammar schools attract considerable support from Maidenhead families. If a good school wishes to expand in line with existing legislation then this must be seriously considered."
Allies said that she was indicating a willingness to considerer any application on its merits rather than signalling a change in policy."
mystery
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by mystery »

Does this signal that he seven oaks annexe is dead ihbf. N bv nbmmmhkbkkhhkbbdkdd
mystery
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by mystery »

southbucks3 wrote:Any new annex would have to be from a Berkshire gs, as the entry exam is different in bucks.
That should not really be a problem. The bucks academy can have whatever entrance exam and admissions policy it chooses. The satellite just have to have the same as it would all be "one school". The fact that the satellite building is on Berkshire soil should not be a problem as long as there is a bucks academy grammar wants to do this ( is there one?) and it meets the tests for being a satellite and not a new school.

Interesting though. It seems that this is an entirely politically driven idea and not one that a particular academy has come forward with. Maybe this is also the case in sevenoaks. Rumour has it here in kent that high 6 figure sums of taxpayer money have been spent on grammar annex proposals including building plans and planning permission processes. But, "look no satellite" and a delayed free school building is the sum total of the result of this great idea at the moment here in kent. And another million or more to be spent on temporary classrooms for the delayed free school ( oh yes, the excuse now is "surprise " asbestos removal in the old school which has first to be demolished).

It is interesting that the politician in question is not also angling for a satellite of a bucks high school in Berkshire!

It's general election season of course. Some feasibility studies are not always what they seem. The options under consideration are never the full range in these politically driven vote-catching gambles.
southbucks3
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by southbucks3 »

I can't fathom out how when maidenhead "need" hundreds more secondary school places by 2017, that two of the main considerations involve segregation....a grammar annex and a Catholic school. That is not a need, it's a want, if there is a real need then it should cater for all backgrounds and intelligence surely?
The whole concept of not expanding decent existing comps, or building annexes to existing good comps, but instead potentially catering to the wants, definitely suggests the motion is being pushed forwarx by snobbery and politically conceived ideas of pleasing a small section of society.
I would rather like to be able to take my children to a and e without having to witness drug addicts congregating outside, stab victims, drunks, horrible men dragging bruised women around and being restrained by police officers oh and last time a shooting. However imagine the outcry if they said, here we go after public demand we are re-opening an a and e in high wycombe, it is a separate a and e wing purely for nice, quiet, well educated families who live healthy lifestyles and here is another in marlow just for church of England patients...etc etc
A national education system, should be available for all, we all live in this mosh pit together. Yes I know I send my boys to grammar, I know I have double values, but if they had said five years ago, we are merging all the schools I would have been relieved, in fact if they said it now, I would be fine with it, a bit disruptive, but it could be done and my boys and their friends would all be under one roof again....hurrah.
equilibro
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by equilibro »

southbucks3 wrote:..... if there is a real need then it should cater for all backgrounds and intelligence surely?
Since you ask, no.
ToadMum
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by ToadMum »

Given the areas of desperate need, presumably everyone in Maidenhead is hoping for St. Bernard's to apply to open an annexe and kill both birds with the one stone, so to speak?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
mystery
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Re: First Grammar school in a generation: The Times

Post by mystery »

I guess that if Berkshire is carrying out its school places commissioning duties assiduously, berks maintained secondaries will be being asked to expand if that is a viable option, and any academy that can help out will be being encouraged to expand, whether or not they are within Berkshire boundaries.

It is very hard to tell from this news article what is going on though. The headline and general tenor is very similar to the early national press articles on the (still non-existent) sevenoaks annex.


All this stuff about whether different Tory incumbents may sanction a grammar annex and herald a "policy shift" is misleading too. There are strict rules about how an academy can expand and whether a building on a separate piece of land is simply an annex or is in fact a new school.

I did manage to read the full times article in the end and I did rather feel that it was implying that the sevenoaks annex is dead in the water, but then again, how reliable are these little snippets of news purely based on what someone sees fit to put in a press release at the time.

Good luck bucks and maidstone. Looks like you are in for years of uncertainty about something or other.

Is Theresa may at risk of losing her seat to ukip?
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