An award-winning former head teacher claims Britain’s school admissions system is flawed.
Some secondary schools are using unfair tactics to select their pupils, causing less affluent children to lose out to their middle class peers.
That’s the claim made by Kirklees governor and former north east Headteacher of the Year Stephen Taylor in his new book The Scandal of Admissions in Our Secondary System, due to be published next month.
Mr Taylor, 69, vice-chairman of governors at Healey Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Batley, is calling for a national review of the admissions system.
He has already received support from Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee and others.
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After four decades in education, he says he has first-hand experience of secondary schools using tactics to discourage ‘challenging’ or less academic children, often from poorer families, from applying.
Once a family has applied for a place, they have the weight of the law on their side.
Some schools, he says, dissuade ‘difficult’ children, claiming they would be better off elsewhere, or transfer those who are not doing well.
He cites academies holding aptitude tests on Saturday mornings, when children from difficult backgrounds are less likely to attend; and schools refusing places to less academic and ‘challenging’ children, while accepting those from more privileged backgrounds.
“The Fair Access Protocol isn’t working,” he said.
“A disproportionate number of these children end up in challenging schools where there are more drugs, grooming, crime and deprivation.
“The same old schools get dumped on all of the time.
“We also need to treat these challenging schools differently. They should have a social worker, better links with the police and their own education welfare officer, then teachers could then get on with teaching instead of social issues.”
Mr Taylor, who runs workshops and assemblies for Childline within Kirklees primary schools, makes the controversial claim that the Rotherham sex abuse scandal would not have happened if these things had been in place.
He said: “It’s not generally known that a disproportionate number of the 1,400 children involved attended three secondary schools. These proposals would improve teaching and Rotherham would have been nipped in the bud.
“Admissions are loaded towards the upper echelons, and if you have selective schools, you are always going to have sink schools.
“High performing selective schools are prospering at the expense of other schools and children’s futures. Some children are written off as early as 10 or 11 years old.”
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During research for his book Mr Taylor contacted admissions officers from 40 local authorities.
Recent GCSE statistics published in the Examiner show that the top three schools in Kirklees are all selective: North Halifax Grammar, Crossley Heath and Heckmondwike Grammar.
He added: “Performance should be judged on a pupil’s progress, not five GCSEs.”
