Academy chains’ plan for ‘pupil premium grammars’

Academy chains are considering opening new grammar schools dedicated to disadvantaged children, which they believe will support government efforts to boost social mobility.

One influential academy chain - the Inspiration Trust, which has hosted talks with Department for Education officials - has floated the idea of a “pupil premium grammar school”, TES can reveal.

The selective school - aimed at those qualifying for the additional school funding for pupils from a disadvantaged background - would be sited in one of the government’s 12 opportunity areas.

The areas will share £72 million funding in an effort to remove barriers to young people achieving their potential (see “England’s ‘opportunity areas’ ” box, below).

TES is aware of at least one other multi-academy trust (MAT), which is not yet ready to go public with its plans, that is actively exploring setting up a pupil premium grammar.

The news comes after a Grammar Schools Heads’ Association newsletter, which summarised talks with ministers and officials, stated that the opportunity areas and other “social mobility cold spots” were “clearly [DfE] priorities for new selective schools”.

The document adds that, in the short term, new selective places will be provided within MATs, or by expanding existing grammars.

‘Priority’ areas

In October, education secretary Justine Greening announced that Norwich, which has been identified as a “social mobility cold spot”, would be among the first six opportunity areas.

Since then, key partners in the city, from early years and further education providers to businesses and local authorities, have been meeting DfE officials to discuss the area’s needs and key metrics to focus on. Some of the meetings have been hosted by the Inspiration Trust, which runs four schools and a sixth form in the city.

Its chief executive, Dame Rachel de Souza, said: “We shouldn’t shy away from exploring bold ideas. Would a pupil premium grammar school help improve social mobility in Norwich? Would reviving adult education for parents help them support their families? Would developing strong curriculum and professional development training to aid recruitment and retention of teachers have the biggest impact?”

She told TES that the Inspiration Trust had “always been in favour of new things”, including setting up the UK’s first specialist science and maths sixth form, which she said “is selective on entry, and that helps focus on really high-level teaching and learning”.

‘Norwich has always been a radical city, so we shouldn’t rule out doing something new’

Dame Rachel added: “Norwich has always been a radical city, so we shouldn’t rule out doing something new.”

Research published in January 2016 by the government’s Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (now known as the Social Mobility Commission), showed that the attainment of children in Norwich who were eligible for free school meals (FSM), and who therefore qualified for the pupil premium, was among the worst in England.

At the end of primary school, 54.1 per cent of children eligible for FSM achieved at least level 4 in reading, writing and maths, meaning that the city ranked 39th worst out of 324 district authorities. The figures for GCSE were worse, with 20.4 per cent gaining five GCSEs at A*-C, including English and maths - the 12th lowest rate in England.

Nationally, pupils qualifying for FSM significantly underachieve compared with their peers (see graphic, below).

But Jonathan Simons, a former head of education at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, questioned whether there would be enough children qualifying for the premium in any particular area to make an academically selective pupil premium grammar viable.

“My nervousness about these is that you have to lower the bar so much to get, let’s say, 1,000 pupil premium kids that it is basically not a grammar nor selective,” Mr Simons, now director of policy at the Varkey Foundation, said. “The numbers aren’t there.”

“To be selective, you either need thousands and thousands of kids applying, or they are not coming from Norwich - they are coming from Norfolk, Suffolk - and your travel catchement areas then become ridiculous.”

The idea of using the Norwich opportunity area to introduce selection has also been criticised by teaching unions (see “Does Norwich really want a grammar school?” box, below).

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We know bright children from disadvantaged backgrounds thrive at grammar schools, which is why we have set out plans to end the ban on new grammars.

“We have also announced twelve opportunity areas across England, backed with a £72 million investment, where we are working to break down the barriers to social mobility that too many still face.”

@geomr