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Purpose and remit

This is a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Department for Education (DfE) and the Grammar School Heads Association (GSHA). It sets out the shared aims of both parties and how they will work together and communicate effectively in order to achieve these aims.

GSHA聽represents 151 of the 163 grammar schools. Its role is to represent and promote the interests of its member schools.

Officials within the DfE schools group will be the main point of contact responsible for this work. They will carry out this work in accordance with ministers鈥� wishes.

罢丑颈蝉听MoU聽covers 2 areas of shared interest. These areas are the:

• access of pupils from lower income backgrounds to selective schools (鈥榝air access鈥�)
• partnership between selective schools and non-selective secondary and primary schools (鈥榩artnership鈥�)

罢丑颈蝉听MoU聽sets out shared aims and activity until the end of 2027.

Shared aims

The government wants a diverse schools system that allows every child to go as far as their talents can take them.

GSHA聽has demonstrated commitment to encouraging more disadvantaged pupils to be admitted to selective schools.

Both parties have a shared ambition to see:

• more pupils from lower income backgrounds being admitted to selective schools
• increased partnerships between selective schools and non-selective secondary schools and primary schools locally, with a view to collaborating to improve outcomes for children across their area

The purpose of the joint working between聽GSHA听补苍诲听DfE聽is to:

• accelerate progress from selective schools around fair access and partnership, understanding and helping to overcome any barriers
• continue to build the evidence base of what works in these areas
• encourage and strengthen good practice within the sector

Areas of joint working

GSHA, supported by DfE, will deliver 3 commitments, and in doing so set a gold standard for the rest of the sector. These commitments are to:

• continue to promote to their member schools, and support them in implementing, priority for pupils eligible for pupil premium funding in their admissions oversubscription criteria (after looked after and previously looked after children, as mandated by the School Admissions Code) and consider how best to publicise this
• support member schools to design admission arrangements which increase access to their schools for disadvantaged pupils
• undertake outreach with primary schools to increase the number of applications and admissions of disadvantaged pupils to selective schools 鈥� this should be targeted at more disadvantaged areas and designed to address local circumstances and barriers

DfE聽will support聽GSHA聽member schools in designing their admission arrangements to achieve their desired outcome in line with the School Admissions Code.

GSHA听补苍诲听DfE聽will return to these commitments and may update them in light of emerging findings around best practice on fair access.

Other areas of joint working

GSHA and DfE have also agreed to work together in other areas.

Increasing and strengthening selective schools鈥� activity around fair access and partnerships

GSHA and DfE agree to do this through events and communications activity, including:

• communicating shared aims and expectations to selective schools
• encouraging links between interested parties, with a particular focus on local primary schools
• facilitating links into the department for GSHA members
• helping selective schools to participate actively in local school improvement arrangements where appropriate

Gathering information and local intelligence from schools

GSHA and DfE agree to do this to help build the evidence base, keep informed of schools鈥� activity and what鈥檚 working. They will do this by:

• sharing GSHA findings and outputs from working groups
• collecting data from聽GSHA聽members, for example by circulating questionnaires
• sharing intelligence on suitable candidates for visits and fieldwork to develop further case studies of good practice and understand barriers schools are facing
• sharing access to DfE data as far as possible to support this work
• using the findings to inform any relevant DfE聽guidance or evaluation in this area

Facilitating the sharing of best practice

DfE and GSHA agree to do this by:

• 耻蝉颈苍驳听GSHA聽annual events to showcase good practice
• establishing or promoting a central hub or forum to share good practice
• 别蝉迟补产濒颈蝉丑颈苍驳听GSHA聽members as leaders and trailblazers on fair access and partnership across the education sector
• developing an in-depth understanding of the most effective approaches and practice and sharing this across the sector

In carrying out this聽MoU, both parties agree to maintain open and regular lines of communication, handling sensitive information appropriately.

Success measures

DfE听补苍诲听GSHA聽will evaluate progress by:

• monitoring the number of selective schools effectively prioritising disadvantaged children in their admissions arrangements, with a view to all聽GSHA聽member schools doing so
• developing case studies of outreach activities being carried out by member schools
• monitoring the numbers of disadvantaged children being admitted to selective schools with a view to seeing an upward trend
• monitoring the number of high-quality applications from selective schools to departmental programmes promoting partnerships in the system, for example, teaching school hubs, national leaders of education, specialist leaders of education, subject hubs