.jpg)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Kent looks set to house England’s first new grammar school in five decades having been given the green light by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan.
Weald of Kent Grammar School in Tonbridge will host 450 girls, despite there being a ‘ban’ on new grammar schools by the Government. However, Mrs Morgan has called the expansion ‘genuine’, insisting how the move doesn’t alter the Government’s stance on selective schools.
But what is a grammar school and why do they cause debate?
According to the National Grammar Schools Association (NGSA), grammars offer academic excellence, sporting achievement and community involvement, often sharing facilities and resources with the whole community.
England currently has 164 and Northern Ireland has 69, all of which, says the NGSA, ‘face threats from various quarters’.
Grammars are non-fee paying schools, though they select pupils based on ability which some say is unfair. The NGSA says the schools are not elitist and are accessible to all families, not just those that can afford to pay for an independent school place.
To be able to gain entry into a grammar, potential pupils must complete the 11-plus entry examination, something many parents pay tuition for in order to get their children prepared.
Tuition centre ElevenPlusExams.co.uk says numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, mathematics, English and non-verbal reasoning are all the areas eleven-year-olds must master in order to ace the exam, describing it as ‘quite unforgiving’.
So, do you think you could pass a set of the assessment’s English and maths questions? Take the challenge:
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments