§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many consultation letters on the future admission arrangements for grammar schools were sent out; how many responses were received; what assessment he has made of the consultation from these answers; and if he will make a statement; [17759]
(2) how many responses to the consultation letter on future admission arrangements for grammar schools were received from (a) grammar schools, (b) non-selective secondary schools, (c) primary schools, (d) local education authorities with grammar schools and (e) local education authorities without grammar schools; and if he will make a statement. [17760]
§ Mr. ByersThe Department issued the consultation letter initially to the 164 schools which we had identified as grammar schools and to the 37 local education authorities which currently have or will have grammar schools in their areas from next April. Many LEAs circulated the letter to schools in their area. Thereafter copies of the letter were made available on request. We estimate that around 200 additional copies of the letter were issued.
Some 1,100 responses were received. Of these:
- 176 were from the headteacher and/or chair of governors of a grammar school
- 30 were from other secondary schools
- 16 were from primary schools
- 25 were from LEAs (including shadow authorities) with grammar schools
- 3 were from LEAs without grammar schools
- over 800 were from others
We are currently considering the responses as a basis for deciding the best way of taking forward the framework we have proposed.