New Grammar School Is First In Half A Century

A new grammar school is to be built in England, the first in over 50 years.

15:31 18 October 2015

England is to get a“new” grammar school, the first in over 50 years, after Weald of Kent school in Tonbridge was allowed to expand its service in Sevenoaks, Kent.

 

Labour, which passed laws in 1998 banning the creation of new grammars or selective state school, said that the decision is a “hugely backward step.” However, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan gave an assurance that it would not “open the floodgates” to more schools being allowed to select by ability.

 

Mrs Morgan said that it was a genuine expansion of an existing school and that the decision "does not reflect a change in this government's position on selective schools.” She also said that the ban on new grammars would remain.

 

"I don't want to fight the battles of selective and non-selective... This is one particular application with one particular set of circumstances. Why would I deny a good school the right to expand?"

 

"I don't think this will open any kind of precedent or floodgates."

 

She added that existing grammar school with a desire to expand would have to "meet the criteria for being a genuine expansion.”

 

The school in Sevenoaks is due to open in September 2017.