Memorandum submitted by Alan and Chris
Woodhead (SA 7)
We are writing to provide evidence that:
— the operation of a selective system
for secondary education in part of North Yorkshire has been ineffective,
unfair and there is no valid standard for selection.
— the process for parental ballots
to remove a selective system is unfair.
1. We have three children. All went to the
same primary school in Ripon. Our first child, a boy, did not
have to take a selection test but was entered into Ripon Grammar
School on only the assessment of the head teacher. Our second
child, a boy, had to take tests, and was selected for entry to
the grammar school. In the years between our second and third
child taking the selection tests the proportion of the local cohort
deemed eligible for entry to the grammar school was reduced. Our
third child, a girl, took the tests and was placed in a borderzone,
the scores on her verbal and non-verbal reasoning test having
been averaged out. Despite having exactly the same average score
as one other child in her class at school this child was allowed
entry to the grammar school on appeal. Our daughter was not.
This demonstrates that there has been unfairness,
inconsistency and a lack of valid standards in the application
of selection. It also demonstrates social segregation in that
two of our children were educated in a different school from our
other child, the schools being about 13 miles apart.
2. There was a marked difference between
the verbal and non verbal reasoning scores, of the order of 104
for verbal reasoning compared with 136 for non verbal reasoning
for our daughter. With this difference it is evident that at least
in part aspects of her educational potential were very high, which
we pointed out to the appeal panel. But even then she was denied
entry to grammar school.
This demonstrates a lack of valid standards
in the application of selection. It also demonstrates that the
selective process may not be value free in that verbal reasoning
scores for tests in the English language are more likely to be
adversely influenced if a persons first language was not English
compared to non verbal reasoning tests. This latter point indicates
that the method of selection is at risk of social segregation.
3. Our first child gained 10 GCSEs and four
A Levels . He was selected for entry to Nottingham University
and a year ago gained a 2:1 degree in Chemistry with Management.
Our second child gained 10 GCSEs and four A levels and is an undergraduate
at Loughborough University on a degree for Chemistry with Forensic
Science. Our daughter, who went to a local comprehensive school,
having not been selected for entry to Ripon Grammar School gained
10 GCSEs and, this month, gained four A Levels (a "B"
in Biology, a "B" in Religious Studies, a "C"
in Chemistry and a "D" in General Studies). She has
accepted a place on a degree programme at Lancaster University.
This demonstrates a lack of valid standards
in the application of selection in North Yorkshire both in the
selection tests and the operation of the appeals panel.
4. The ballot procedure to stop selection
at Ripon Grammar School involves a vote of parents whose children
are at feeder schools. The definition of a feeder school is one
from where a small number of children, from memory five, have
been admitted in the latest three years. The number bears no relation
to the proportion from the school roll. As a direct consequence
of this definition, parents of children at fee-paying schools
have a disproportionate vote in any such ballot. In the ballot
which was held parents at one such fee-paying feeder school had
a vote even though not one child had entered the grammar school
in the two previous years.
This demonstrates that the process for parental
ballots to remove a selective system is unfair.
5. Entry to Ripon Grammar School can occur
after the first year. If this occurs then other selection criteria
apply. There has been a small, but noticeable difference in the
number of children entering Ripon Grammar at age 13, just before
main choices are made for GCSE study. One local fee paying school
takes children up to age 13. There has been a small but noticeable
difference in the proportion of children from fee-paying schools
entering Ripon Grammar School at aged 13 compared to other years.
This demonstrates unfairness in the local operation
of selection in favour of children from fee-paying schools who
can more easily have "two bites of the cherry".
6. We have a nephew and a niece who moved
to this area from North Wales. Our nephew tried to gain entry
to Ripon Grammar School when he was about 13 years old. He was
required to take a test in French. At his secondary school in
North Wales, where most lessons were taught in English he studied
both Welsh and French as additional languages. Consequently his
abilities in French were not as competent as they may otherwise
have been. He did not gain entry to the grammar school. For information
he is now studying for a degree in Engineering at Sheffield Hallam
University.
This demonstrates segregation in the local operation
of selection making it more difficult for children who gain entry
after being taught in schools in Wales.
7. There has been a significant difference
between the proportion of children at Ripon Grammar School who
are in receipt of free school meals. It is significantly less
than the proportion of children at other secondary schools
This demonstrates that the operation of selection
results in social segregation. It also demonstrates that the operation
of the selection process is highly likely to be unfair to children
from less affluent families eg those from single parent families.
25 August 2003
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