Ruling against grammar entry test

Children sat the 11-plus as well as Folkestone Grammar's own test

A Kent grammar school has been told it cannot operate its own admission tests alongside the county's 11-plus.

The schools adjudicator ruled against Folkestone Grammar School for Girls, following complaints from Kent County Council (KCC) and Wrotham School.

But he said Dover Grammar School for Boys could continue with its long-established tests for one year.

The schools have used their own exams to fill empty places with pupils who narrowly failed the 11-plus.

'Fairest way'

Folkestone Grammar School for Girls said it was disappointed with the decision.

In a statement, head teacher Tracy Luke said the school felt its present system was "the fairest way of assessing a girl's suitability for a grammar school place".

"Our parents understand and appreciate the option to do a second test, as do local primary head teachers.

"However, we are an innovative and exciting school and we will do our best to encourage girls to apply, using whatever system is available to us," she said.

The more grammar schools deplete the intake from those schools, the worse they will be Martin Frey

Kent had 600 fewer pupils transferring into secondary school in 2004 compared with the previous year.

With about 25% of children going to grammar schools, it meant there were 150 fewer children of grammar school ability.

Dover was given a year's grace to allow further discussion on improvements in the county-wide admissions system to secondary schools.

Folkestone Grammar had only been using its own tests for two years.

Adjudicator Alan Parker said he felt it would give an "inappropriate signal" to the rest of the county it they were allowed to become more established.

Deplete intake

He said he supported KCC's aim to have a single testing system that was clear to parents and minimised the burden on children and primary schools.

Martin Frey, from the campaign group Stop The Eleven Plus, said the more children who went to grammars, the more difficult it became to run the rest of the county's schools.

"We have grammar schools, which may or may not be excellent, and we have also got 25 schools - a quarter of our secondary schools - doing worse than schools in Hackney," he said.

"The more grammar schools deplete the intake from those schools, the worse they will be."

Mr Parker also ruled against a proposal by Mascalls School, a specialist visual arts college in Paddock Wood, to widen its catchment area.

It had wanted to reserve a quota of places for applicants living more than five miles from the school.