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Written question asked by Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 7 December 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 21 December 2022. It was answered by Baroness Barran (Conservative) on Monday, 19 December 2022 on behalf of the Department for Education.


Schools

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the difference between a grammar school and a foundation or voluntary school, funded by the local authority, which also selects their pupils by academic ability.

Answer

Grammar schools are the only state-funded schools permitted to select all their children by high general academic ability. There are 163 grammar schools, all of which were maintained schools in 1998 and designated as grammar schools by the Education (Grammar School Designation) Order 1998 (as amended in 1999).

143 of these schools have subsequently become academy schools and are permitted to continue to select by academic ability through provisions within the Academies Act 2010 and their funding agreements.

Of the 20 maintained grammar schools, 7 are community schools, 6 are voluntary aided schools, 6 are foundation schools and 1 is a voluntary controlled school.

In addition, a number of state-funded schools were permitted to retain partial selection by academic ability or aptitude by provisions within the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. 40 of these schools remain partially selective.

32 of them are academies and are permitted to continue to select through the aforementioned legal and funding agreement mechanisms. 8 are maintained schools, and of these 4 are foundation schools, 3 are voluntary aided schools and 1 is a community school. 31 of these partially selective schools select a proportion of their intakes by general academic ability, 2 select by ability in music, 1 by ability in technology, and 1 by ability in maths. The remaining 5 select a proportion of their intakes by aptitude[1].

[1] Either a form of aptitude that would not otherwise be permitted or more than 10% by aptitude.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL4120
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Grammar schools Foundation schools
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk