Local Equal Excellent began investigating the impact of the 11-plus in Buckinghamshire after grammar schools there said they were introducing a new test that was “resistant to coaching”. In 2015 only 10% of grammar school applicants from Pakistani heritage backgrounds passed the 11-plus, compared with 21% of children from white British backgrounds. “Buckinghamshire is a particularly good area in which to analyse how the 11-plus test works in practice,” says Hickman. “Grammar schools do a good job for the pupils who gain admittance,” he says. “I would defy anyone to come up with an 11-plus test that isn’t in some way related to prior learning and practice – that is just common sense.

Source: The Guardian September 12, 2016 06:20 UTC