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Thu 31 May 2012
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NGSA: Grammar schools should be cautious about gaining academy status
Thu 24 Jun 2010
The National Grammar Schools Association (NGSA) has urged English grammar schools to be cautious if they plan to apply to become academies.
According to the organisation, gaining academy status could lead to parents not being consulted about changes in a grammar school's admission requirements.
This, it stated, is because the people in charge of a grammar school would be allowed to revise the admissions procedure and demand an all-ability intake.
The NGSA also suggested that academies may not be legally defined as maintained schools, which means they could lose the statutory protection of a parental ballot being required before they are turned into comprehensive schools.
England currently has 164 grammar schools, while more than 1,700 schools overall have so far shown an interest in gaining academy status.
According to education secretary Michael Gove, 870 of these schools were rated as outstanding in their most recent Ofsted inspection, which means they could be fast-tracked to academy status by September.
Andrea Squires, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood Solicitors, commented: "Schools with selective admission policies will be entitled to retain such policies on conversion to academy status.
"The government has yet to issue any statement about future policy intentions beyond this.
"Grammar schools considering conversion (and we are advising a number going forward for 1st September) should seek specialist advice."
