The Daily Mail reported on: Grammar schools favouring children from poorer backgrounds.
It is good to hear that children who are eligible for pupil premium (PP) now get priority admission for the majority of grammar schools.
Could this be seen as a poly by the government to get the general public into their way of thinking around opening more grammar schools?
However, there are many children out their who just miss out on being eligible for FSM, their parent(s) work hard and struggle to make ends meet but earn over the threshold. Yes the government has consulted on increasing the threshold with the introduction of Universal Credit, but will it be enough?
The PP admission criterion is one thing but some schools are setting a lower pass mark for certain children. How is a child who is not eligible for FSM/PP but whose parents are struggling to make ends meet going to feel if he/she is rejected for a grammar place, but has a friend who is eligible, gets the same score and is offered a place?
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer as someone is always going to lose out, but we must ensure that we don’t send out the wrong message to people who want to continue working and pay taxes.
Sharon Oliver
