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Wednesday, August 17, 2016
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LIFTING BAN WILL NOT INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES SAY CAMPAIGNERS THE Kent Education Network (KEN), a campaign group which consists of senior lecturers and parents, has responded to the Tory activist group Conservative Voice, which has argued that developing a greater number of selective schools would offer children more opportunity. According to KEN, only 2,000 Kent children from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to 33,000 grammar school places. The organisation claims this dispels the argument that increasing such schools would enable greater social mobility. Tonbridge already has three grammars, including Weald of Kent, which controversially gained an extension with a new annexe in Sevenoaks. In an open letter, KEN said “We would invite MPs who support this campaign (for new grammar schools) to visit Kent to see for themselves how a two-tier education system really works. We would point out the advertising on local buses promoting prep schools by boasting of 93 per cent 11-plus pass rates. “We would suggest a trip to a Saturday morning 11-plus tutoring centre, to understand that paying for coaching is commonplace. We would like MPs to tour one of our many ‘inadequate’ secondary moderns, with limited academic subjects offered at sixth form, and recruitment problems caused by teachers choosing to teach at grammar schools.”
County Hall calls for change INSIDE of law on grammar schools NEW RECORD
Olympic success for Tonbridge Athletic club member Page 2
Parts of current legislation are an ‘unnecessary and damaging restriction’ that should be scrapped Sevenoaks to the Weald of Kent newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk Grammar School in Tonbridge. NEWS that Prime Minister Theresa May is exCllr Gough told pected to give the green light to more gram- the Times: mar schools has been welcomed by Kent “Grammar schools County Council. are an integral Mrs May is understood to be on the verge part of education of lifting the 18-year ban on new grammar in Kent. For many schools by the end of this year. people they are KCC’s Cabinet Member for Education, Roger a route to social Gough, said: “We support the expansion of mobility, giving grammar school capacity, as we do that of any bright children EXPANSION good or outstanding school where there is a from a full range Weald of Kent Grammar School in Tonbridge clear need for more places. of backgrounds “The 1998 Act currently prevents this being the opportunity to done through the establishment of new gram- achieve more from their time in education.” He said it was nonsense to point out that mar schools. He agreed that opponents had every right to in a grammar school system the non-selec“We believe that this is an unnecessary and make their case, but KCC believed that gram- tive schools would sometimes have relativedamaging restriction and that this part of the mar schools had an important place in our ly lower performance in terms of GCSEs and education system, and that a large number of A levels. That was inevitable because those legislation should be scrapped.” Kent residents had a similar view. Grammar schools select pupils by schools did not have, on average, the more He said Kent’s mixed choice of second- academic pupils. means of entrance exam the 11-plus, or in this county the Kent Test. Kent ary schools offered real choice for parHowever, that did not mean that the nonis exceptional in that grammar ents seeking a school that suited their selective schools were doing a bad job. schools already comprise a third of child’s abilities and needs. “Non-selective schools in Kent achieve outits mix of secondary schools. standing outcomes for their pupils by offering Cllr Gough’s comments folblend of academic, vocational ‘Kent offers a balanced aandbalanced low a story in the Times that technical pathways, apprenticeships and blend of pathways’ the Kent Education Network preparation for employment opportunities. (KEN) is calling for an end to “In fact a number of our Kent non-selective the 11-plus, which it claims “We recognise that schools of schools do well in terms of what they deliver, creates inequality and a various types in the county – even in relation to the national average. two-tier system, especially including grammar schools, high “And the results do not indicate that the schools, faith schools, compre- pupils in those schools are doing any worse in West Kent. hensive schools and special than they would under another system.” KEN was set up in JanuNEW HOPE ary in response to plans for schools – provide an excellent from PM Theresa May education for their pupils.” establishing an ‘annexe’ in See also page 12
By Jonathan Banks
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Teams line up for the exciting Bat & Trap finals Page 2
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Disapproval over High Street revamp continues Page 3
TOWN UNITES
Tonbridge Calling festival is a huge diversity hit Page 3