The Judd School, Tonbridge, Rules Out Grammar School Annexe By Tonbridge Courier

The Judd School has ruled out opening an annexe in Sevenoaks as a partner to the new Weald of Kent grammar building approved by the Government.

It was announced last week that the girls' school had been given the go-ahead to build an annexe in Sevenoaks.

Attention has now switched to where a boys' annexe could be built, though The Judd School has been quick to distance itself from speculation.

Only Skinners', The Judd School and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys are seen as viable options to take on a boys' annexe, due to their single-sex intake from the Sevenoaks district.

Edward Wesson, headmaster at Skinners', told the Courier the school was open to discussions. "The decision does open the question 'why not a boys' annexe?'" he said. "We have a percentage of pupils from Sevenoaks and we are one of the three schools who could do it.

"We haven't discussed it in any great detail but I think it is clearly something that all grammar schools would have to look at."

But Robert Masters, head of The Judd School in Tonbridge, appeared to rule out his school, saying it was "not giving the idea any more consideration".

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys' head teacher John Harrison also said his school had "ruled the idea out" after consideration.

Campaigners behind the annexe are now mobilising to secure the same provision for boys.

http://www.courier.co.uk/Judd-School-ruled-annexe/story-28034819-detail/story.html

Boys Grammar School Open to Girls!

After 200 years an under-subscribed boys grammar school which dates back to 1817 could be set to open its doors to girls.

A letter sent out to parents today (Monday) revealed Chatham Grammar School for Boys is launching a public consultation to change to gender make up of the school - as well as its name.

In a letter sent out by executive principal Stuart Gardner and other senior leaders, the plan was outlined for girls to be allowed into the school at Year 7 starting from September 2017.

He said it would be “an exciting opportunity for parents in the local area to have a greater choice in the type of education they would like their son or daughter to experience”.

They also would need to change the name of the school, and have suggested Holcombe Grammar School or Holcombe House Grammar School, reflecting the site the school is on and the way former pupils call themselves ‘Old Holks’.

The main reason for the change is huge under subscription to the school.

Historically it has been the second preference boys’ grammar school. In 2014, only 55 people made it there first choice, while for 160 it was second behind the Rochester Math School.

The numbers are not sufficient to fill the school, and it means they lose up to £200,000 of government funding per year.

Because of that the school had to make cut backs to the curriculum - and now does not offer drama at Key Stage 4.

In the letter to parents Mr Gardner said: “If the school were able to move to a secure intake of 118-120 in each year group then the school would be able to offer students greater breadth of curriculum choice and greater support.”

The school’s sponsor is the Thinking Schools Academy Trust (TSAT) and another idea is to work more in partnership and give priority to children who attend any of the trust’s primary schools; including New Horizons Children’s Academy, Gordon Children’s Academy, Junior and All Faiths’ Children’s Academy.

Chatham Boys was only the second grammar in the county to be put into special measures by Ofsted in June 2013. Now Good, the school leaders believe the time is right to make the change.

Mr Gardner added: “There is significant positive momentum in the school, the school has significant staffing with experience of co-ed and girls’ educational settings.”

Chatham Boys already has experience of incorporating and educating girls in the sixth form and has recently acquired new PE facilities for girls including changing rooms and toilets.

The parents and pupils were informed this afternoon, and the public consultation is open until January 5.

It will be the Regional Schools Commissioner and the Education Funding Agency who make the final decision in February.

England Needs More Grammar Schools By Christopher Hope

England should build more grammar schools, one of the country’s foremost industrialists has said.

Juergen Maier, the chief executive of Siemens UK, told the CBI conference that schools had “to give people the hope and aspiration that they can be absolutely brilliant in society”.

However the idea was knocked down straightaway by Nicky Morgan, the Education secretary, who said she was "not going to fight the battles of the past".

Asked if he was “in favour of bringing back grammars”, he replied: “I am actually.”

Later Mr Maier, which runs a business that employs 14,000 staff in the UK that had £5billion sales in 2014, said: “I just think that a duel approach is a pretty good system.

“We have labelled them grammar schools, what I was really talking about is an approach that says at a certain age you are more destined for an academic route.

“And then you start to measure the success slightly differently – that is a lot of what we were talking about."

There comes a point where if you put too much pressure on kids purely academically when clearly their interest is in a more practical type, then you should measure it in a different way.

“You are not differentiating really – you are saying ‘that is what you are going to excel at, and that is what you are going to excel at’. Both are totally absolutely valuable.”

However, speaking at the same conference in central London, Mrs Morgan said she was not keen on bringing back more grammar schools.

Asked if she were a “fan” of the schools, she said: “No we've been very clear were not going to return to a selective system because frankly I'm not going to fight the battles of the past.

“I want all schools to be stretching the most able. That's one of the reasons we're moving to measuring by progress to make sure schools are stretching the most able and helping those who are struggling.”

Last month Mrs Morgan approved a new satellite grammar school extension several miles from an existing grammar school in Kent.

Mrs Morgan said the decision was a one-off – but Labour was quick to argue that the decision would open the floodgates to new grammar schools around England.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/11984609/England-needs-more-grammar-schools-says-top-industrialist.html