Tuesday, 8 March 2016

Southend's grammar schools - still too many from outside of the borough



Here are the latest numbers for Southend-on-Sea's four grammar schools. showing where the pupils come from. It is a continuing story of large numbers from outside of the borough, albeit that the situation has improved in recent years.


Pupils from inside of the Borough of Southend-on-Sea
From outside of the Borough
% from outside of the Borough
Westcliff High School for Girls
346
794
69.6
Westcliff High School for Boys
360
746
67.5
Southend High School for Girls
542
487
47.3
Southend High School for Boys
694
427
38.1

I believe schools should serve their local community, and therefore I desire the Borough's grammar schools to have something a lot closer to 0% from outside of the Borough. I accept that there will always be some from out of town, especially from the communities that are immediately adjacent to Southend-on-Sea. However , to have 2454 pupils from outside of the Borough is far too many.  Every place given to an outsider denies a Southend child an opportunity. I do not see this as fair.

3 comments:

  1. There is nothing fair about the Grammar School system, Julian. Segregating children at 11 is a form of apartheid.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Segregation takes place in any school according to ability, that has to happen. The hope that a less able pupil will be encouraged by other more able pupils in the same class invariably ends up with none achieving what they should. Lets aim to bring all schools up to grammar school standard rather than drag grammars down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The evidence on mixed ability is a lot more mixed than you seem to believe.

      Grammars bring the rest down.

      Delete

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