I was interviewed this afternoon by BBC SE with regard to expansion of grammar schools and the new £50m growth fund, for which applications are due in tomorrow, to be broadcast this evening.
A previous article I wrote in January sets out clearly the expansion in numbers of grammar school places since 2012, without the use of any such incentive. It is expected that some half dozen Kent grammar schools out of the total of 162 will have applied, and I considered these in a subsequent article in May following the announcement of the growth fund. Time will tell how these fare.
I was also on KMTV, the online TV station earlier this month talking about two other subjects,
firstly KCC’s setting up its own commercial business to provide services to academies and other schools.
The second item was a story about Dane Court Grammar planning some classes of 60 pupils to meet financial pressures, and presumably teacher shortages. Hardly surprising in my view, schools are currently under immense pressure from both these issues and indeed many of the new build PFI schools were built to deliberately cater for this idea, using one teacher, supported by Teacher Assistants. Is it a good idea? Fortunately, I am not the one who has to balance the books at a time of dwindling funds.