Grammar schools should support local schools, says adviser

Sir Cyril Taylor, chairman of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, wants grammars to play a wider role in supporting local schools.

In a speech in a school in Essex, Sir Cyril also called for successful schools to provide classes for gifted pupils from other schools.

He said good schools "should use more of their expertise" to raise standards.

Speaking at the academically selective Ilford County High School, Sir Cyril praised the 164 remaining grammar schools as "national treasures".

Under-performing

He said he was not in favour of creating more grammar schools - but that instead they should play a wider role in supporting weaker neighbouring schools.

This could mean "partnering a neighbouring school, possibly under the new trust structure", said Sir Cyril.

Trusts are a type of mini-federation of schools which work together, with the support of external partners. Last week, the government published details of the first few dozen schools taking on trust status.

Gifted and talented

Sir Cyril also called for more under-performing schools to become academies.

At present, he said there were 350,000 pupils in secondary schools where less than a quarter of pupils achieved five good GCSEs, including English and maths.

"This country cannot afford to have so many children attending failing schools. We hope that many of these low-attaining schools will become academies," he said.

Successful schools should also consider providing gifted and talented lessons at the weekend for pupils from other local schools - or offering A-level courses to pupils from neighbouring schools.

He also commended schemes by grammar schools to "go out into the council housing estates to identify very able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and to encourage them to apply to their school".