Comprehensive school allowed to select on ability

AN OPTED-OUT comprehensive school in Reading, Berkshire, yesterday became the first in Britain to be allowed to start selecting about a fifth of its pupils on academic ability.

The Government's move could signal a substantial change in the comprehensive system, which includes the overwhelming majority of state schools. It is likely to provoke applications from many other comprehensive schools which want to use partial selection to attract brighter pupils in the hope of improving their position in local examination league tables.

John Patten, Secretary of State for Education, said in his White Paper last year that he did not want to return to selection on the old 11-plus model. But yesterday's decision confirms that he is keen to encourage selection within the comprehensive system as a way of increasing diversity, encouraging more opt-outs, and spurring competition between schools.

Southlands, an all-girls school with just under 500 pupils, asked the Government in July last year for permission to start selecting up to 30 of its pupils each year - the equivalent of one form in every entry. At present that would represent about a quarter of the school's pupils, although the Government's figures suggest it would end up representing a little more than a fifth of the usual intake.

Those pupils will create an academic fast stream, eventually running right through the school. Other pupils will gain places at the school as normal comprehensive entrants.

Baroness Blatch, Minister of State for Education, approved the school's plans in a letter to Tony Markham, chairman of governors, at the weekend. Mr Markham said last night that there was no question of Southlands being elitist: 'We will still provide a fully comprehensive education. We will simply be providing an additional educational advantage for especially able girls. That is right and proper.'

He said there was a clearly unsatisfied demand for selective all- girls education in the area.

Jennifer Espejo, headteacher, said that the most able girls in the area went to a local grammar school. By selecting a proportion of its pupils, Southlands would end up with a proper spread of ability. 'Quite unashamedly, we are going out to get the most able local girls,' she said. But, she added: 'We are a comprehensive school and we remain a comprehensive school.' Neither she nor the governors wanted a return to 'divisive' selection.

The selected pupils will be additional to the school's existing roll. The selected girls will be taught separately for most subjects, but the school will attempt to prevent a 'them and us' atmosphere by integrating them in tutor groups, and for some subjects such as technology. Girls will be selected on the basis of tests in maths, English, and verbal and non-verbal reasoning ability.

Primary school teacher training courses have switched from theories of learning to 'practical matters such as classroom management and organisation', school inspectors reported yesterday. They added that 'a worryingly high proportion' of students on a few teacher-training courses were teaching less than satisfactory lessons.

The Training of Primary School Teachers; HMSO; pounds 3.95