Select Committee on Education and Skills Minutes of Evidence


APPENDIX 1

5. Letter from David Taylor, Director of Inspection, Ofsted, to the Chairman of the Committee (DP53)

  The Committee was interested in the performance of grammar schools with specialist status. There are 24 grammar schools that had specialist status in September 2000 (the date used in the Ofsted analysis of specialist school performance). Of these, 10 were languages colleges, one was a sports college and 13 were technology colleges.

  The number of specialist grammar schools included in the analysis is therefore small. In each year since 1997 these specialist grammar schools have achieved higher average GCSE points per pupil than non-specialist grammar schools. In 2002, the difference was 2.3 points per pupil. Their trend of improvement from 1997 to 2002 has been somewhat higher than non-specialist grammar schools.

  The gap between the two sets of schools increased somewhat between 1999 and 2000; this may be explained, in part at least, by an increase in subject entries in specialist grammar schools.

  I attach with this letter a chart, as promised, showing comparative achievement in grammar, comprehensive and modern schools.

9 December 2002

ANNEX



 
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