King Edward VI Multi-Academy Trust

[Nard]

My DS1 is at Handsworth Grammar School and a Consultation has just opened on whether the school wants to join the KEVI MAT.

This Multi Academy Trust (MAT) would include all the KEVI schools and it is proposed for HGS to join them. Looking at the consultation there doesn't seem to be many day to day changes that would be made to the school apart from changing the name to King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School.

Has anyone got any further information on this whether it would be a good or bad thing for the school.

[um]

Schools (and most organisations, to be honest) have always been better working together and co-cooperatively rather than in isolation.
So it seems positive to me/

However, surely they cannot be serious about the new name?
There's already a school called King Edward VI Handsworth School
I presume they will think of something clearer (perhaps add 'Boys' to the title and 'Girls' to the Rose Hill one?)
Adding the word 'Grammar' is hardly going to clarify things.

[Turtlegirl]

The girls' school is already called King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls (I note from the website). But yes, super confusing if they are both called KEVIHS. It's already difficult for parents to work out which is which!

[mike1880]

So there'll be a KEHSG and a KEHGS. Can't see the problem, how could that possibly lead to confusion?

[quasimodo]

My DS1 is at Handsworth Grammar School and a Consultation has just opened on whether the school wants to join the KEVI MAT.

This Multi Academy Trust (MAT) would include all the KEVI schools and it is proposed for HGS to join them. Looking at the consultation there doesn't seem to be many day to day changes that would be made to the school apart from changing the name to King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School.

Has anyone got any further information on this whether it would be a good or bad thing for the school.

I don't think existing parents and incoming parents of children at the school this year have anything to fear and should welcome the proposal.In the short term very little will change.

Handsworth Grammar always had a large number of children in receipt of pupil premium so the education of boys at the school falls within the KE Schools charitable purpose of educating the poorest children in Birmingham.New parents next year should expect the school to set the target score separately for pp children and as a result with all things being equal the admission score will be higher for non pp children than it has been recently.Further the school is a good school and by incorporating further good practice it will become an outstanding school.

I think we can expect with the funding pressures that exist for sixth forms that there will be moves in the future for some if not all subjects in the sixth forms at KE Handsworth and Handsworth Grammar to be taught jointly so that the variety and quality of subject choices are maintained.In the long term who knows as long as its to the benefit of pupils in the existing schools and in accordance with parental wishes.I am not aware of any proposals but it would seem logical.The name change in those circumstances starts to make some sense.

[Petitpois]

If I was being asked the question this time next year I probably would have a better idea of the issues. One that is clear, is

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36547401" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The fundamental issue for everyone is that there will be relentless pressure on cut off scores over the next few years regardless of near term decisions.

Aside from the obvious impact on cut off scores, I suppose the other big issue is diminishing marginal returns. What I mean here is that there will be pressure from steadily growing cut off scores, to expand provision.

Logic leads me down the path of thinking about the ramifications of such growth and whether the MAT is the early stage of the response? Whilst we didn't go for it, some where like Queen Mary High School had a lovely "family" atmosphere about it and I guess my thinking is how do these schools retain their distinctiveness, ethos and warmth.

The point about diminishing marginal returns is that beyond a certain level, things usually start getting much much worse the more you try and grow them. Unless your the borg, in which case your distinctiveness is added to the collective and resistance is futile! BTW I was talking about seven of nine the other day, DD2 automatically answered 63. I guess the timetables practice is working at least

PP.

[nervousmom]

Star Trek Voyager

[helen0209]

Handsworth Grammar always had a large number of children in receipt of pupil premium so the education of boys at the school falls within the KE Schools charitable purpose of educating the poorest children in Birmingham.New parents next year should expect the school to set the target score separately for pp children and as a result with all things being equal the admission score will be higher for non pp children than it has been recently.

HGS had their Open Evening tonight so I asked the Head the question of pupil premium. He stated that their admission policy would not change if they became part of the MAT and that they would not have a separate entry level for pp and non-pp pupils.

[quasimodo]

Handsworth Grammar always had a large number of children in receipt of pupil premium so the education of boys at the school falls within the KE Schools charitable purpose of educating the poorest children in Birmingham.New parents next year should expect the school to set the target score separately for pp children and as a result with all things being equal the admission score will be higher for non pp children than it has been recently.

HGS had their Open Evening tonight so I asked the Head the question of pupil premium. He stated that their admission policy would not change if they became part of the MAT and that they would not have a separate entry level for pp and non-pp pupils.

Thank you for the clarification.The school is presently joining the KE Mat but the new school name suggests it may be joining the KE Foundation at some stage. Its new name will be KE VI Handsworth Grammar School. There are different schools in the Foundation with different admission policies but the five KE grammar schools operate the same admission rules.