Selective school
Encyclopedia
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems.
The opposite is a comprehensive school
, which accepts all students, regardless of aptitude.
The split between selective and comprehensive education is mainly seen at secondary level
; primary education
is rarely selective.
At the university level, selection is almost universal, though some institutions practice open admissions
or open-door enrollment allowing students to attend regardless of prior qualification.
, selective high schools
are government schools that select students on the basis of academic ability. Most students enter a selective high school in Year 7, after sitting the Selective High Schools Test in the previous year. The process of entering selective schools is much like that of a university, with students electing their preferences and being chosen for schools based on their performance on the Selective High Schools Test.
, Australia
, selective high schools select all of their students based on an entrance examination. As of 2011 there are five selective schools: Melbourne High School, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School
, John Monash Science School
, Nossal High School
and Suzanne Cory High School
.
, selective high schools are both private and public. Most private high schools are selective based on interviews, primary school grades and other considerations. In 2005, the then Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie
announced as part of the Smart State Strategy the creation of the Queensland Academies "as an innovative alternative educational program for high achieving high school students." There are currently three Queensland Academies for students Years 10 to 12 and all study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
The Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) at Toowong was opened in 2007. It has a partnership with the University of Queensland
at St Lucia.
the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
(QACI) at Kelvin Grove opened in 2007. It has a partnership with the Queensland University of Technology
Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove.
The Queensland Academy for Health Sciences
opened on the Gold Coast (QAHS) in 2008. It has a partnership with Griffith University at the Gold Coast.
s, which are non-selective.
However there are still 164 grammar schools in several counties of England
, which select pupils either on the basis of an Eleven Plus examination, by an internally set and moderated examination, or by both. There are a number of selective schools in Scotland and Wales, some of ancient foundation.
Some formerly Grant Maintained schools were selective by means of exams, tests, interviews; or a combination of all three.
These Local Education Authorities continue to maintain a fully selective education system:
Several other LEAs have a mainly non-selective system but a few selective schools exist alongside their comprehensive counterparts, these are; Barnet, Birmingham, Bromley, Calderdale, Cumbria, Devon, Enfield, Essex, Gloucestershire, Kirklees, Lancashire, Liverpool, North Yorkshire, Plymouth, Redbridge, Stoke on Trent, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Wolverhampton, Telford and The Wrekin.
There are also a smaller number of partially selective schools
in England.
In Northern Ireland
, a similar system of grammar schools is being dismantled by the Northern Ireland Education Order, which is going through Westminster
.
are typically high school
level, and are often also specialized school
s. In New York
, students must take the competitive Specialized High Schools Admissions Test
prior to possible admittance to one of the schools. Though many selective schools are of the high school
level, there are also schools which provide to lower aged students. One example is the Logan School for Creative Learning
in Colorado
which admits students 1-8th grade mainly by IQ testing.
is also a selective school; however the Realschule is not to be confused with the "advanced Realschule" or the "Realschule Plus", which are non-selective schools.
The opposite is a comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, which accepts all students, regardless of aptitude.
The split between selective and comprehensive education is mainly seen at secondary level
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
; primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
is rarely selective.
At the university level, selection is almost universal, though some institutions practice open admissions
Open admissions
Open admissions is a type of unselective and non-competitive college admissions process in the United States in which the only criterion for entrance is a high school diploma or a General Educational Development certificate.This form of "inclusive" admissions is used by many public junior...
or open-door enrollment allowing students to attend regardless of prior qualification.
New South Wales
In New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, selective high schools
Selective school (New South Wales)
Selective schools in New South Wales, Australia are government high schools operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, that have accepted their students based upon their academic merit...
are government schools that select students on the basis of academic ability. Most students enter a selective high school in Year 7, after sitting the Selective High Schools Test in the previous year. The process of entering selective schools is much like that of a university, with students electing their preferences and being chosen for schools based on their performance on the Selective High Schools Test.
Victoria
In VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, selective high schools select all of their students based on an entrance examination. As of 2011 there are five selective schools: Melbourne High School, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School
Mac.Robertson Girls' High School
The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School is an academically selective, public high school for girls, located in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, John Monash Science School
John Monash Science School
John Monash Science School is a state government coeducational specialist selective school in Victoria, Australia. It is the state's first specialist science secondary school....
, Nossal High School
Nossal High School
Nossal High School is a state government selective school in Victoria, Australia. Located in the Berwick campus of Monash University and adjacent to Chisholm Institute and Berwick TEC , the school opened in 2010 with 200 students...
and Suzanne Cory High School
Suzanne Cory High School
Suzanne Cory High School is a Years 9-12 selective entry co-educational high school in Victoria, Australia. Located in Hoppers Lane, Werribee, the school commenced in 2011 with 200 Year 9 students....
.
Queensland
In QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, selective high schools are both private and public. Most private high schools are selective based on interviews, primary school grades and other considerations. In 2005, the then Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie
Peter Beattie
Peter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
announced as part of the Smart State Strategy the creation of the Queensland Academies "as an innovative alternative educational program for high achieving high school students." There are currently three Queensland Academies for students Years 10 to 12 and all study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
The Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) at Toowong was opened in 2007. It has a partnership with the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
at St Lucia.
the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
The Queensland Academy for Creative Industries is a high school in Queensland, Australia. Central to the academy's ideals is the education of the "creative generation", hoping to provide a platform for students to pursue careers in traditional arts fields such as film and television, music, visual...
(QACI) at Kelvin Grove opened in 2007. It has a partnership with the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove.
The Queensland Academy for Health Sciences
Queensland Academy for Health Sciences
The Queensland Academy for Health Sciences is a State Government selective high school located in Queensland, Australia. QAHS offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program to students in years 11 and 12, and is also open to year 10 students, who study a shortened version of the IB Middle...
opened on the Gold Coast (QAHS) in 2008. It has a partnership with Griffith University at the Gold Coast.
United Kingdom
Most schools in the UK are now comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
s, which are non-selective.
However there are still 164 grammar schools in several counties of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which select pupils either on the basis of an Eleven Plus examination, by an internally set and moderated examination, or by both. There are a number of selective schools in Scotland and Wales, some of ancient foundation.
Some formerly Grant Maintained schools were selective by means of exams, tests, interviews; or a combination of all three.
These Local Education Authorities continue to maintain a fully selective education system:
Several other LEAs have a mainly non-selective system but a few selective schools exist alongside their comprehensive counterparts, these are; Barnet, Birmingham, Bromley, Calderdale, Cumbria, Devon, Enfield, Essex, Gloucestershire, Kirklees, Lancashire, Liverpool, North Yorkshire, Plymouth, Redbridge, Stoke on Trent, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Wolverhampton, Telford and The Wrekin.
There are also a smaller number of partially selective schools
Partially selective school (England)
In England, a partially selective school is one of a few dozen state-funded secondary schools that select a proportion of their intake by ability or aptitude, permitted as a continuation of arrangements that existed prior to 1997....
in England.
In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, a similar system of grammar schools is being dismantled by the Northern Ireland Education Order, which is going through Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
United States
Selective schools in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are typically high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
level, and are often also specialized school
Specialized school
Specialized schools are secondary schools with enhanced coverage of certain subjects that constitute the specialization of the school. They should not be confused with vocational schools, whose goal is to deliver skills for a particular type of job....
s. In New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, students must take the competitive Specialized High Schools Admissions Test
Specialized High Schools Admissions Test
The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test is an examination administered to eighth and ninth grade students residing in New York City and used to determine admission to all but one of the city's Specialized High Schools.The results come in February. The test is given in the autumn for admission...
prior to possible admittance to one of the schools. Though many selective schools are of the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
level, there are also schools which provide to lower aged students. One example is the Logan School for Creative Learning
Logan School for Creative Learning
The Logan School for Creative Learning is a private school in Denver, Colorado enrolling gifted students in grades K through 8. The school focuses on experiential learning as its educational method....
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
which admits students 1-8th grade mainly by IQ testing.
Germany
The German Gymnasium (university preparatory school) is a selective school. The German RealschuleRealschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
is also a selective school; however the Realschule is not to be confused with the "advanced Realschule" or the "Realschule Plus", which are non-selective schools.