By Gavin Mackintosh-
Two prestigious grammar schools have issued apologies after ‘technical errors’ that led to children incorrectly being told they had passed the entrance exams.
The Crypt School, in Podsmead, and Sir Thomas Rich’s, in Longlevens, have been heavily criticized for wrongly informing families that their children had achieved the required standard in their 11-plus tests. The schools later emailed again to highlight a mistake, upsetting the pupils and parents who had been given false hopes. The 11 plus exams are taken by children whose parents are prepared to provide that extra level of academic coaching to adequately prepare them for the higher standard of secondary grammar school.
Only the very best primary schools in the Uk train their pupils at the standard required to prepare them for grammar school. Those schools have a highly disciplined and academic system that prepare their pupils up to 3 years in advance. Many pupils from those schools still need tuition to maximize their chances of success, but pupils from less academic primary schools rely on the pockets of their parents in getting them good tuition to secure their best chances of success.
A child who goes through all that process of preparation and still misses the pass mark could be devastated in many cases. That devastation is made worse when their expectations are raised with the false belief that they have passed when they actually have not.
The two grammar schools are both of high academic standard, with parents forking out on private tuition to prepare their sons and daughters for the entrance exam. In some other cases, children told they failed the exam later learned they had in fact passed. Only 150 places are available at the Crypt School, and candidates will learn in March whether they have been accepted for a place officially.
A spokesman said the Crypt School had “experienced a technical error with some of its entrance test result data” which led to “inaccurate rankings for a small minority of children”.
“The school apologizes unreservedly for this error, and any upset or distress that it has caused to those affected.”