[Q]ueen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith is revamping its entrance test to encourage greater social mobility for pupils. The school is concerned that the perceived need to pay for private coaching to prepare for the tests deters some families from applying to the school, but Headteacher, Mr Paul Buckland, is adamant that coaching is not necessary.
He said: “My passion is to make a grammar school education available to as many children as possible, when it is the right place for them. My own experience of a grammar school education and the opportunities I accessed as a consequence, coming as I do from a background with no prior experience of further or higher education, has made me determined to make social mobility a cornerstone of the ethos at QEGS. The entrance test should identify innate ability and be based solely on what the children will have covered in school and does not require any additional learning.”
The new test, designed to be more resistant to coaching, will be offered to pupils from the 2019 entry cohort onward. Students will complete two mixed papers of an hour, each focussed on one particular skill. The content and style of questions will change each year, with familiarisation materials made available in advance to those who register for the test.
Mr Buckland added: “The new test is intended to be a fairer and much more accurate indication of innate suitability for a grammar school education. We hope it will encourage children from all backgrounds to aspire to attend QEGS and produce a student profile which is more reflective of our community than is currently the case.”
Some three hundred current year 5 pupils and their families have toured the school during February, and an open evening is planned for Thursday 21st June 2018. The deadline for applications to sit the QEGS entrance test is noon on Monday 25th June, with the tests taking place on Saturday 15th September. Anyone wishing to enquire about a place for 2019 is encouraged to contact the school on 01768 864621.
