§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria are used by grammar740W schools to select pupils; and what consideration is given to children's performance in the national curriculum when selecting such pupils. [153720]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisAdmission authorities for grammar schools are responsible for setting their own arrangements for selecting pupils. Some allocate places on the basis of rank order of merit in the entrance test; others set a pass mark for the test and, if more children achieve the pass mark than there are places available, normal oversubscription criteria (for example siblings, distance) are used to allocate the places. Some admission authorities review cases of children who have marginally failed to reach the required standard in the test, taking account of head teachers' recommendations and school reports, which are likely to include reference to performance in the National Curriculum.