"I feel guilty that we're giving my daughter an advantage because we're paying for tutoring." Parents call grammar school entry a "moral dilemma". When families feel they must pay to avoid their child being disadvantaged, the problem isn't the parents. It's the system. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

How transparent is the 11-plus? FOI documents show a major test provider advising schools how to resist requests for admissions testing information. Should details of tests that shape children's futures be hidden as "commercially confidential"? comprehensivefuture.org.uk/released-doc...

Enjoyed doing this. This history equips us with the tools to talk about our current education system, even in non-selective areas, about the relationship between schools and social mobility, exam stress, etc.

. Historian @petermandler.bsky.social talks about the history of academic selection and what we can learn from the post-war education system. He busts popular myths about grammar schools and social mobility. youtu.be/kfXmDse3yO8?...

If grammar schools need to redesign the 11-plus to reduce tutoring and middle-class cramming, they’re admitting the system isn’t measuring ‘ability’ in the first place. The tutoring industry won’t disappear because the test is 6 weeks earlier. www.dailymail.com/news/article...

“If selection doesn’t improve social mobility, why are we doing it?” Professor Peter Mandler discusses the history — and consequences — of the 11+ and academic selection in Britain. New interview with Jack Deasley for Comprehensive Future. Watch:https://youtu.be/kfXmDse3yO8

Grammar schools admit far fewer pupils with SEND than neighbouring non-selective schools. As SEND reform moves centre stage, the role of academic selection is increasingly under scrutiny. A supporter has launched this petition. Please sign and share: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...

Research shows the 11-plus shapes identity, confidence and belonging for decades after children take it. More than 50 years on, women who sat the 11-plus still feel its effects. Selection doesn’t just sort pupils. It stays with them. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/more-than-ha...

Moving the 11-plus and aligning it with the curriculum sounds fairer… But as one tutor puts it, "Tutoring will adapt rather than disappear.” There is no such thing as a tutor proof test. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“Nobody is getting in off the back of picking up half a dozen practice papers from WH Smith in the summer of year 5." When entry depends on years of paid prep, the system is surely flawed beyond fixing. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

The SEND white paper promises every child will achieve and thrive. But it assumes all schools admit a representative intake. In grammar school areas, they don't — by design. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/every-child-...

Where any admissions criteria limit access for local or disadvantaged children, it’s right to ask whether the system is fair. State-funded schools should be inclusive and accessible to all. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/public-conce...

If the “best” schools take fewer SEND pupils, are they really the best? New research shows 'top' schools admit far fewer disadvantaged SEND pupils than their local areas. That’s not excellence. That’s selection. #FairAdmissions www.theguardian.com/education/20...

The NPP Fairer Schools Index confirms what we already knew: grammar schools’ “top” rankings are often just a reflection of their selective intake, NOT better teaching. When you adjust for pupil background, their scores drop significantly. #uked www.northernpowerhousepartnership.co.uk/northern-pow...

Reform UK is reportedly considering lifting the ban on new grammar schools. But England already has selective areas, the evidence shows this system of education doesn't work. Expanding selection would be a step backwards. #ednews #edpolicy #ukedchat comprehensivefuture.org.uk/reform-signa...

That's a good point. By bringing back Grammar Schools, you also bring back Not Grammar Schools.

With Reform UK calling for the return of grammar schools, I’ve shared an excerpt from my first book The Myth of Meritocracy examining the evidence on who actually benefits from selection. Clue: it isn’t working-class pupils. www.forthedeskdrawer.com/p/the-enduri...

The idea of “bringing back grammar schools” is pure nostalgia politics. Modern education systems focus on raising standards for all children, not selecting a minority and leaving the rest behind. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

It's being reported that Reform UK plan to create new grammar schools if they come into power. Such a bad move! Do parents really want to see more primary school children sitting the 11-plus? 🙁 inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Councillors admit they have “no powers” to influence grammar school admissions following a call to boost the number of local children securing spots. 🫤 www.echo-news.co.uk/news/2590299...

What is Reform UK's policy on grammar schools? So far the party has been quiet on this issue, but are there hints they plan to expand selection? comprehensivefuture.org.uk/reform-uk-an...

It's ridiculous that grammar schools are treated as equals to all other schools in league tables. “This comparison is too crude to help school leaders or parents. Schools with lower pupil attainment on entry will be judged unfairly.” schoolsweek.co.uk/grammars-shi...

Reform UK still has no stated policy on academic selection, but it now has a new education spokesperson. In 2022, Suella Braverman said, 'A government I lead would say yes to new grammar schools in any county that wants one.' schoolsweek.co.uk/suella-brave...

'Children as young as five or six access tutors for the 11-plus.' The pressure to win places in London grammar schools is intense, but surely children this young shouldn't stress about a high stakes test? www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

There’s no such thing as a “tutor-proof” 11+. Switching to English and maths doesn’t remove advantage, it just rewards long-term academic coaching. Our take on the latest grammar school reforms. comprehensivefuture.org.uk/can-an-11-pl...

There's no such thing as a 'tutor proof' test. Moving the test date to July may avoid holiday cramming, but tuition will simply be brought forward. This becomes a test for 9 and 10-year-olds. Are children of 9 mature enough to cope with a high stakes test? www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

"If schools are deploying on 11 year olds techniques more common to a trauma counselling session, it’s fair to say you’ve failed to produce a humane education system." www.thecanary.co/global/world...

This was an important debate in Northern Ireland. A majority of the Assembly voted in favour of ending selection in a non-binding motion. The transfer test system was described as 'brutal' and 'negatively impacting children.' www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/educati...

This podcast is the most downloaded Teachers Talk Radio show of the year so far. Listen to CF's chair outlining the problems with grammar schools, and explaining how education could be improved to offer a good local school for every child. www.podbean.com/ep/pb-ma6kx-...

We’re new on Bluesky after years on X. If you’re a UK educator, parent, or researcher interested in fair admissions, we’d love to follow you — replies welcome.