Altrincham Grammar School is among sixteen selective schools that have been given permission to expand their places after committing to improving access for disadvantaged pupils.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced today that the sixteen are to receive funding from the £50m Selective School Expansion Fund.
All will be making changes to their admission arrangements to increase access for disadvantaged children, with over half of the schools committing to lowering the mark required to pass the entrance test for pupil premium pupils. Many more will help pupil premium children or children attending schools in less affluent areas prepare for their entrance tests.
As well as prioritising access for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, the successful schools have also committed to a variety of outreach initiatives.
Damian Hinds, said:
One of the stand-out features of this country’s education system is its diversity, and selective schools are an important part of that. They include some of the best schools in this country, with almost all selective schools rated Good or Outstanding, and they are popular with parents. So it is right that when there is need for more places in an area, these schools should be able to expand – as other schools can – to enable as many children as possible to benefit.
I have always been clear that selective schools will only be able to expand if they meet the high bar we have set for increasing access for disadvantaged children, and all of these schools have done that. As a result, countless more children from disadvantaged areas will benefit from places at outstanding schools.
