AS Education: Grammar School Fails Inspection

Are all Grammar Schools Good? Read Article.

For the first in English history a grammar school has failed an Ofsted inspection. Stretford Grammar School was placed in special measures after inspectors found that it was "inadequate" in its overall effectiveness.

Trafford council has responded by saying that there are enough positives for the future, and the Children's Minister directed her criticism at the management of the school accusing the Conservative leadership of the council of trying to brush the failures if the school "under the carpet". Girls particularly were failing in the school with high ability candidates making "very slow progress".

For AS students this opens the debate of whether students benefit from the state or grammar/public experience. Presumptions are made that with their entrance tests and their "selectivity" grammar schools should rule the roost when it comes to results, compared to national benchmarks. Yet Stretford Grammar school faced a range of problems which don't usually impact on grammar school institutions. Over 30% of their students spoke English as a second language, and a decline in numbers (which meant less funding). The school is currently facing closure and highlights how quickly a school can go on a downward spiral especially when at the mercy of changing social surroundings which they have very little control over. Last year it recorded 92% of it students achieving "good GCSE grades".