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Hinds gives 16 grammars funding to expand

Hinds gives 16 grammars funding to expand

Grammar schools across 12 counties given share of £50 million fund to expand

3rd December 2018, 10:01am

Sixteen grammar schools have been given the go-ahead to expand by the education secretary.

The schools, across 12 counties, will be given a share of a £50 million fund to add an extra 4,000 pupils to their rolls.

In May, the government announced a new Selective School Expansion Fund, backed by £50 million, for 2018-19.

The Daily Mail reports today that 16 schools were selected from 39 bidders, with the money granted on the condition that they implement plans to admit more pupils from a disadvantaged background.

All the successful bidders have pledged to prioritise disadvantaged applicants, either through quotas or by lowering the pass mark for those below an income threshold, the Mail reports.

They have agreed to provide free test preparation materials for the 11-Plus, and have also signed up to outreach and mentoring programmes and bursaries for uniforms, travel and extracurricular activities.

The education secretary Damian Hinds said: “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.”

Jim Skinner, of the Grammar School Heads Association, said: “The large majority of selective schools prioritise access for disadvantaged pupils, which is backed up by outreach and partnership work with local schools.

“Selective schools are therefore well placed to contribute to meeting the ongoing need for more school places and supporting high-quality education provision elsewhere.”

The full list of schools is: