Comprehensive Future

As the government talks about inclusive mainstream education, questions about selective schooling are becoming harder to avoid. A supporter has launched this petition on grammar schools and SEND reform: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/7669…

It's not about grammar schools having low FSM because "leafy suburbs." Wherever grammars are based data regularly shows two schools a mile or two apart — one takes ~3% FSM, the other ~25%+. Selection using an 11+ is the problem, not grammar schools' location.

Research shows the 11-plus shapes identity, confidence and belonging for decades after children take it. More than 50 years on, women who sat the 11-plus still feel its effects. Selection doesn’t just sort pupils. It stays with them. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/more-than-half…

Moving the 11-plus and aligning it with the curriculum sounds fairer… But as one tutor puts it, "Tutoring will adapt rather than disappear.” There is no such thing as a tutor proof test. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

“Nobody is getting in off the back of picking up half a dozen practice papers from WH Smith in the summer of year 5." When entry depends on years of paid prep, the system is surely flawed beyond fixing. inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyl…

@comp_future “Grammar School” areas are abetter named “Secondary Modern” areas* as there are 3x more Sec Mods than Grammars (*actually better called selective areas!).

The SEND white paper promises every child will achieve and thrive. But it assumes all schools admit a representative intake. In grammar school areas, they don't — by design. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/every-child-ac…

“Results were as much about prior attainment and parental support as teaching.” A former headteacher reflects on selection, fairness, and what really shapes outcomes. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/from-grammar-s…

This reflects a wider concern about how school admissions work in practice. Where any admissions criteria limit access for local or disadvantaged children, it’s right to ask whether the system is fair.

This should be screaming at us. The ‘quiet curse’ is not schools over loaded with pupils other schools do not serve, or facing the direct impact of poverty and inequity. The curse is the ease with which a school does not serve its direct community, or discourages admission.

When league tables reward results over inclusion, schools respond. The result? Fewer disadvantaged SEND pupils in top schools. Schools should reflect their communities not 'manage' who applies. #FairAdmissions #SEND theguardian.com/education/2026…

The latest @NP_Partnership Fairer Schools Index confirms what we already knew: grammar schools’ “top” rankings are often just a reflection of their selective intake, NOT better teaching. When you adjust for pupil background, their scores drop significantly.northernpowerhousepartnership.co.uk/northern-power…

Reform UK is reportedly considering lifting the ban on new grammar schools. But England already has selective areas, and the evidence shows this system isn't working. Expanding selection would be a step backwards. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/reform-signals…

The idea of “bringing back grammar schools” is pure nostalgia politics. Modern education systems focus on raising standards for all children, not selecting a minority and leaving the rest behind. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

@comp_future Of course, the creation of grammar schools requires the creation of secondary modern schools for those who fail to pass the grammar school selection test. It is therefore true that Reform UK wish to create new secondary modern schools.

It's being reported that Reform UK plan to create new grammar schools if it comes into power. Such a bad move! Do parents really want to see more primary school children sitting the 11-plus? 🙁inews.co.uk/news/politics/…

Awful policy move. 🙁

Councillors admit they have “no powers” to influence grammar school admissions following a call to boost the number of local children securing spots. 🫤echo-news.co.uk/news/25902996.…

What is Reform UK's policy on grammar schools? So far the party has been quiet on this issue, but are there hints they want to expand selection? comprehensivefuture.org.uk/reform-uk-and-…

It's ridiculous that grammar schools that select high-attaining pupils are treated as equals to all other schools. “This comparison is too crude to help school leaders or parents. Schools with lower pupil attainment on entry will be judged unfairly.”schoolsweek.co.uk/grammars-shine…