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Northern Ireland grammar schools 11-plus intake revealed
Thursday, 25 June 2009
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The Belfast Telegraph can today reveal details of the 11-plus grades obtained by every pupil starting at a grammar school this September.
The figures, which have been released by the education and library boards to this newspaper, show that some schools have accepted a large number of pupils with C2 and D grades — alongside their traditional A-grade intake.
Education Minister Caitriona Ruane said the statistics raise the question of why the schools need to continue with academic testing as a means of selecting pupils.
Most grammar schools are due to introduce new entrance exams in the autumn — despite the minister’s disapproval of selection.
In the most extreme situations some schools have accepted more D than A-grade students. This is the case with Campbell College in Belfast and Coleraine Inst.
This sits in sharp contrast with Rathmore Grammar having to turn away 41 A-grade students due to very strong competition for its 180 first year places.
Dalriada School also had to turn away 10 As.
The drop in the overall number of school-aged children in Northern Ireland in recent years has played a part in the widening grade entry at grammars.
As grammars fill to capacity many secondary schools are suffering from a shortage of pupils and the decrease in Government funding which accompanies this.
While Rathmore Grammar had to turn away 41 A grades — Campbell College accepted 47 D grades and just 29 As, and Coleraine Inst accepted 44 Ds and 29 As.
Dalriada School in Ballymoney accepted 127 A-grade students and no others. Friends’ School in Lisburn accepted 138 As and had to turn two other As away.
At St Mary’s CBS only 40 of its 175 intake were awarded As and it also accepted 36 Ds.
Dalriada had the highest amount of A grades accepted as a percentage of its total intake — while Hunterhouse had the lowest with 15% of its entry having A grades.
Looking at Ds, 35% of the grades accepted by Coleraine Inst were Ds, 33% at Campbell College, 22% at St MacNissi’s Grammar and 20% at St Mary’s CBS.
Twenty-eight schools accepted no D grades.
Tom Skelton, principal of Dalriada, said he was “absolutely delighted” with his intake for September but added that he was upset that they could not accept all their A grade applicants.
He said: “My personal view is that grammar schools should be more selective and should take only As and Bs.
“I am confident that we will have a good healthy application for the new entrance tests. I think they will be fairer than the old 11-plus as pupils’ marks will be based on the best two scores out of three tests.”
Dr David Carruthers, headmaster at Coleraine Inst, said: “An inspection report in January this year noted the very good improvement made by this school, that the provision is now good and that the school has the capacity to improve further.”
Ms Ruane said all children are entitled to the best education possible without having to endure traumatic tests.
She added: “Recently some grammar schools have been taking a wide ability range — including children who just a few years ago they would have turned away.
“This begs the question as to why these schools need to set admissions tests at all.
“If schools follow the Transfer 2010 guidance there will be no need for any testing of 10-year-old children.”
Uel McCrea, chair of the Association of Headteachers in Secondary Schools and principal of Ballyclare Secondary School, said: “These figures once again indicate the irony that so-called academic schools are admitting a wide ability range and, in some cases, grades which in the past would not have secured places in grammar schools.
“It begs the question: why have any sort of testing for admissions purposes?
“The tests are no more than a means of producing a pecking order for admission and this is grossly unfair on children at the age of 10 and 11.
“Some institutions are maintaining their numbers at the expense of other neighbourhood secondary schools.”
However, Billy Young from the Association for Quality Education and former head of Belfast Royal Academy, disagreed.
He said: “Over the years there have always been some schools which do not have the same strong demand for places as other schools. This has got slightly worse in recent years because of the downturn in the school-aged population.
“But, looking ahead, pupil numbers are going to go up again.
“I do not see the grade intake as a reason why we should all go comprehensive. There has always been that problem for some schools and there always will be.
“It is down to pupil numbers and the Department of Education's decisions that schools have to fill up to capacity.”
The Belfast Telegraph revealed earlier this week that 4,500 pupils have already been registered for the new entrance tests being run by the Association for Quality Education on behalf of 34 schools.
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Comments
44 Comments
I am surprised at the'' Belfast Telegraph '' publishing statistics which have not been updated to include upgrades on appeal.
Posted by George | 20.09.09, 10:07 GMT
I have this awful fear I will be paying fees for my children to go to the school they want to go to. I went to Rathmore and all we ever paid was a voluntary contribution (about £60 if memory serves). Some grammar schools work perfectly well, comprehensives (from my experience in another so-called grammar) unless streamed and adequately resourced, don't. So even beyond the mess that Ruane is making with the P6's, what is being done to prepare the schools they're meant to go to next year?
Posted by What a mess | 30.06.09, 14:15 GMT
neil | 25.06.09, 17:25
Thank you Neil,- by the way, I am not perfect and will make mistakes. I also apologize for referring to the 'diving test', rather than the 'driving test' on another post.
Posted by T J McClean | 26.06.09, 17:55 GMT
Mark - you are absolutely right. The 1989 Education Order (which I was involved with drafting) which introduced the concept of open enrolment included a power for grammar schools to apply to the Department for permission not to admit any pupils they considered would not benefit from an academic education. None of them ever did. And guess who asked DE to insert this provision into the Order in the first place.? Step forward the grammar schools Governing Bodies Association. What hypocrisy.
Posted by Terry | 26.06.09, 15:57 GMT
My eldest child went to the local grammar and I was asked to pay a capitation fee of £50 pa. This amount was not increased if a family had more than one child at the school and was waived if child got FSM.
My younger daughter got a C2 and went to a nearby integrated school. I had to pay a substantial amount for transport there as there was a closer but awful integrated school and the school asked for £100 pa "voluntary" contribution.
Meaning grammar school was much better value for money!
Posted by Anne | 26.06.09, 14:05 GMT
Stephen you either do not understand the point I make, or choose to ignore it and attack parents from particular strata in society. The funding difference represented by the grammar school clique's ability to impose 'capitation fees' and levy 'voluntary contributions' exacerbates an already inequitable situation.
If some schools were as quick to accept working class kids as they are to take their tax money the educational playing field would be levelled somewhat!
Posted by Exasperated | 26.06.09, 13:53 GMT
No democracy will ever have “Same Schooling” for all.
Demand will always create Fee Paying / Selection Schooling.
The only thing “Exasperated” and her Marxist friends will do
By trying to destroy the Grammar Schools will be to create
A system of Fee Paying Schools.
This will end the opportunity for social mobility which we still
have today.
Political / Ideological extremes destroy opportunity.
Posted by P6 Parent for Opportunity | 26.06.09, 13:39 GMT
These parents from "humble backgrounds" don't have a problem finding £140 for smoking and drinking, it's just a matter of priorities.
Stephen
Posted by Stephen | 26.06.09, 13:03 GMT
Most grammar schools have in and around 1000 pupils. A fee of £140x1000=£140,000 extra income per year.
Some large grammars will get over quarter of a million extra.
Add to this the 'voluntary contribution' (whatever "voluntary" means!) and the scale of the inequality between resource allocation is all too clear.
Yes a few children from humble backgrounds do attend grammar schools; but make no mistake they are bastions of social selection.
Thats precisely why the middle classes like them.
Posted by Exasperated | 26.06.09, 12:05 GMT
My nephew goes to a Belfast Gmr,his parents are factory workers. They are on a very modest incomes. The fees are £140. They manage to pay this. There is also a voluntary fund & it is exactly that, once they couldn't pay the full amount & there was no issue. He worked hard to get the 11 plus (A) & was only 1 of 5 in the school who sat it. The rest of the class didn't attend, parents had no interest in the kids' education or value of learning. Flaw is not the test but an attitude to education!!
Posted by JM | 26.06.09, 11:29 GMT
Auldoll states "A-C2 are pass grades and are therefore entitled to be at a grammar school" I would love to know what they base this on! Look folks back in their hay-day (when the prols knew their places) grammar schools took about 25% of the school aged population. Now they accept roughly 45%.
The increase in percentage is due to grammars sacrificing any pretence at being 'exclusive' to keep bums on seats.
I believe all children have an equal entitlement to a school; no fee should be imposed!
Posted by Exasperated | 26.06.09, 10:48 GMT
@ exasperated. The 'contribution' that grammar schools ask for, other than campbell, is hardly high, by what I have seen a couple of hundred a year. I dont think it is designed at all to keep 'certain kids' out as although money is tight for a lot its not a huge amount of cash and is practically free.
@TJ sporting achievments go hand in hand with good schooling. over 70% of british olympians came from private schooling when only around 10% of kids go to private school.
Posted by soarer | 26.06.09, 10:48 GMT
Yes Malcolm, It could also be argued that since these schools are paid for by the tax payer they should offer equal facilities, equal class sizes, equal amount of specailist teaching staff and equal opportunities to all. If you want a better education for your kids then you should pay for it. Just like the NHS which is funded by the public. Or should that be completely two tier, decided at 11 if you get a nice private room with sexy nurse and tv or you are on the wards with no telly and a frump!
Posted by soarer | 26.06.09, 10:40 GMT
Do not judge all Grammar schools by those like Campbell were you can pay. The majority admit grades A-C. If parents choose to send their kids to Grammars & they are always oversubscribed they must be doing something right. There are excellent secondary schools but the standard isn't consistent - bring them all up to a high standard. Don't wreck what is good, develop the other areas and invest here instead. Some kids have worked hard for 7 years and many without coaching to get to these schools.
Posted by Parent of an abandoned by Ruane P6 Child | 26.06.09, 09:19 GMT
Chris | 26.06.09, 02:22
'trained like a monkey'.
Are youngsters who excel at sports and gain medals also, 'trained like a monkey'? Or students who manage to get into university. Or people who pass the diving test or pass interview selection, could they also be said to be trained like monkeys? Or even applicants who manage to get into the PSNI?
No more monkey comments please.
Posted by T J McClean | 26.06.09, 08:30 GMT
M | 25.06.09, 16:34
I take your point about Campbell College. They are one of the very very few Grammars that are a complete law on to themselves as regards criteria of entry.
Posted by T J McClean | 26.06.09, 08:05 GMT
Let's be honest the 11+ is wrong - you're 10/11 (probably much younger) trained like a monkey, lining the pocket of a tutor (if you've got the cash) and you get an A..great news, the family celebrates, and a new bike is produced. Then year 8 arrives and history and geography etc and it all goes wrong..too late should have thrived in a secondary school. Peer pressure! Let our children enjoy their education and have the option to move freely to what suits (maybe year 11) them, not us!
Posted by Chris | 26.06.09, 02:22 GMT
To Fiona Andrews - that looks like a very strong case for an appeal. As to those who say it's all down to money - rubbish! My 6 children all went to OLSP and received a brilliant education for free. Yes, there's a VOLUNTARY family contribution of about £80 a year. People in England are paying upwards of £5000 a year in the hope of getting a similar education. Just ask youself - why are there so many fee-paying schools in England? It's simple - comprehensive education doesn't work!
Posted by Malcolm Turner | 26.06.09, 01:21 GMT
'It is down to pupil numbers and the Department of Education's decisions that schools have to fill up to capacity.' says Billy Young.
Before the new Education Bill, grammar schools could refuse to accept any student they considered not suited to grammar school education.
They rarely did so, accepted all grades, yet now claim that it is the Department of Education's fault.
Who was to blame in previous years?
Grammar school heads or governors?
Has it always been someone else's fault?
Posted by mark | 25.06.09, 22:55 GMT
I have appealed my daughter's refusal into Bloomfield - she got a C1 and I know of at least 3 C2 results who got in. I was sent a letter telling me that Bloomfield only took A, B1 and B2 - so your article in the tele on 25.06.09 was enlightening as it revealed they took 5 C2 results and no C1s - so if these C2s are upgraded BY TWO grades to B2s - why is this and if it is special circumstances - can we be told what these circumstances are?? My eldest daugter is already in Bloomfield! ANSWERS...
Posted by Fiona Andrews | 25.06.09, 21:24 GMT
44 Comments