A group of grammar schools in Essex has been told to change how they score the 11-plus admissions test because it is “unfair” for children born in the summer, according to a report by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA).
The ruling applies to Colchester County High School for Girls, but the test is used by ten selective schools in the county. Schools adjudicator Ann Talboys found that a smaller proportion of summer-born girls achieve the required scores compared to older peers in the same school year.
Last year, only 19% of pupils born in July or August passed the test for the Colchester school, compared to 35% of those born in September. The OSA concluded that the unweighted test puts younger children at a disadvantage and ordered the school to standardise scores for age before the September 2019 admissions cycle.
The school had argued that its own statistical analysis showed no correlation between birth date and test results, but a Department for Education statistician found that analysis to be flawed. Melissa Benn, chair of campaign group Comprehensive Future, said the ruling highlights the unfairness of the 11-plus system and called for its abolition.
