Commenting on the government press release about the creation of
new school and sixth form places,Julie McCulloch, Director of
Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
“While we welcome the creation of new school and sixth form
places, we would urge the government against creating
super-selective standalone sixth forms. Its press release gives
this impression by saying that the aim is to open ‘academically
focused’ 16 to 19 free schools to increase the number of
disadvantaged young people progressing to top universities.
“As the Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, Katharine
Birbalsingh, said on Thursday in her inaugural speech, social
mobility should not be just about making elite pathways for a few
but should work for a wider range of people.
“The danger of super-selective sixth forms is that they will
simply take the most academically able young people from existing
sixth form provision with consequent damage to those institutions
and a demoralising impact on other young people who do not make
the cut. The opportunity to progress to top universities is of
obvious importance but so is progression to the many other
universities, colleges, apprenticeship routes and wide variety of
careers to which they lead.
“The government must recognise that public money should be spent
on improving the prospects of all young people rather than
creating a ladder of success for a lucky few.”
