Partially Selective Schools

Partially selective schools are of two types:

Bilateral Schools, which contain both grammar and non-selective streams, with the two groups of students taught separately. There are eight bilateral schools in England, all of them in areas that have retained fully selective grammar schools. As a result of the competition from grammar schools, some of the bilateral schools tend to be under-subscribed for their grammar streams. Details of the eight Bilateral Schools are shown below.

Partially Selective Schools, which are schools that elected to retain some selection by academic ability or aptitude in a named specialism after the national grammar school system was dismantled. It should be noted that partially selective schools are not the same as schools that have acquired specialist status and have therefore been able to introduce up to 10 percent selection in the specialist subject as a result. A list of the 37 partially selective schools is shown below.

Bilateral Schools

To be admitted to the selective stream of a bilateral school, applicants must achieve the qualifying standard in an eleven plus exam, usually the same test used by local grammar schools. As a result of the competition from grammar schools, bilateral schools tend to be under-subscribed for their grammar streams. Where that is the case they are required to fill the vacant places with non-selective pupils, unlike grammar schools which can remain under-subscribed if insufficient pupils qualify for entry.

Partially Selective Schools

All of these schools are heavily over-subscribed, with competition for places being particularly fierce in those schools that select pupils for general academic ability.