WIRRAL grammar school leaders are calling for the admissions rule book to be ripped up so parents can see the results of pupil entry tests – before applying.
Calls for the review come days after the Daily Post revealed Wirral was the only Merseyside authority seeing the percentage of parents getting one of their first three choices of school fall this year.
Headteachers pushing for a change include Simon Duggan, headteacher at St Anselm’s College, Birkenhead.
The rise in disappointed applicants was blamed on “the gamble backfiring” for parents wasting choices because pupils currently sit grammar school tests after applying for their preferred schools.
Grammar school headteachers in the borough last night denied parents were wasting a choice – pointing out that 99% secured one of their five preferred schools this year and pupils fail to get into other schools for reasons ranging from oversubscription to not meeting criteria. But they called on Wirral council to give “serious thought” to changing its admission system so the results of entry tests are released before the application stage.
They claim the move would “take the fear” out of applying and remove any accusation parents were potentially wasting a choice.
The council’s current admissions policy is at odds with the government’s Schools Admissions Code which, although not mandatory, says grammar schools and their admission authorities “should ensure that parents are informed of the outcome of entry tests before they make their applications for other schools”.
Wirral Council operates an equal preference system, meaning places are allocated based on how closely pupils meet the criteria rather than taking into account the order in which they put schools.
Mr Duggan said, allthough he appreciated there would be “logistical difficulties” bringing the tests forward, he said: “It is only fair for parents that they should know whether their child is eligible and meets the standard for the grammar school before they make their preferences. It would take the fear out of applying.”
Elaine Cogan, headteacher of Wirral Grammar for Girls, agrees, suggesting the entry tests could be moved from late November and early December to the end of September – meaning parents could get the results before applying for schools in October.
She said: “I agree it would be a good idea. If there is no risk in taking the 11-plus test, then you may widen the choice of those looking to reach the standard.”
Mike Twist, deputy headteacher at Calday Grange Grammar School, said: “I can see in terms of parental stress knowing the results of tests before applying may make things easier, but then by doing that there is the issue of the stress that could come with asking children to be tested sooner.”
But a Wirral Council spokesman said the idea was not feasible.
“This is something that the admissions forum have looked at previously and because of national deadlines around offering places, it has not been possible to change. We can understand headteachers’ concerns, but it is not logistically possible for us to send out results of the admissions’ tests before parents make their choice of school place. Under the system they are proposing, it would mean putting the admissions examinations back to an unfeasibly early date.”
But a Department of Children, Schools and Families spokesman confirmed: “The admissions code is clear that schools should get the results to parents before they apply to other schools. Schools should make every effort to complete testing and marking in time to inform all parents.”
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