Transparency data

Bournemouth School for Girls (Bournemouth) URN: 136996

Updated 14 February 2020

This transparency data was withdrawn on 14 July 2023

The Selective Schools Expansion Fund is closed and there are no plans to run future rounds.

Applies to England

Fair access and partnership plan summary

The above school has made a commitment to deliver the following fair access and partnership plan by 2020 (and in subsequent years) as part of its successful Selective Schools Expansion Fund bid.

Admissions

The school has increased its year 7 published admission number (PAN) by 14 places to 180 for September 2019.

The school has set itself the following targets for the admission of girls eligible for the pupil premium:

• 2020, an increase of 20% in successful applications to year 7
• 2021, an increase of 25% in successful applications to year 7
• 2022, an increase of 30% in successful applications to year 7

These targets are based upon increases from the numbers of such pupils in year 7 in 2019.

After the admission of looked after and previously looked after girls, girls eligible for the pupil premium and service premium will be prioritised for admission. The school will do this by:

• moving the current oversubscription criterion which prioritises the highest ranked 130 children passing the test from 2nd priority to 4th admissions priority
• promoting the oversubscription criterion which offers places to pupil and service premium children living in the catchment area from 3rd to 2nd priority for admission.

Pupil and service premium children living outside the catchment area will move up from 5th to 3rd priority for admission

Outreach

Bournemouth School for Girls (BSG) already undertakes outreach activity through partnerships with the following local schools, based mainly on geographical proximity to the school and long standing relationships:

• Bethany Junior School
• Christ the King Primary School
• Hillview Primary School
• Kingsleigh Primary School
• King’s Park Academy
• Kinson Primary School
• Malmesbury Park Primary School
• Moordown St John’s Primary School
• Muscliff Primary School
• Pokesdown Primary School
• Queen’s Park Academy
• St James’ Primary Academy
• St Katharine’s Primary School
• St Luke’s Primary School
• St Mark’s Primary School
• St Michael’s Primary School
• St Walburga’s Primary School
• Stourfield Junior School
• The Epiphany School
• Winton Primary School

BSG is seeking to establish/ further links with

• Avonwood Primary School
• Bearwood Primary School
• Corpus Christi Primary School
• Heathlands Primary Academy
• Somerford Primary School
• Elm Academy
• Jewell Academy

Based on the following factors:

• the relatively low number of pupils currently accessing the tests, passing the test or joining BSG in year 7
• the percentage of pupils eligible for Free School Meals
• the income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI) decile of the school postcode as a further indicator of disadvantage

Special themed activity days in the school (which covers a range of curriculum areas including English, maths and science, taking advantage of specialist facilities) will be organised for more able primary pupils. Participation in these days will be in consultation with primary school staff and will include targeting pupil premium children.

Regular open afternoons will be held throughout the year in addition to the main open evening in order to give as many opportunities as possible to parents who may be at work to visit the school.

Free online testing materials are published on the school website and advice given to parents on how to prepare for the tests is given at all meetings/open afternoons which are held throughout the year. The aim throughout is to seek to demystify the selection process. These events are widely advertised through the school’s website and through contact with primary schools. BSG will further publicise these opportunities using information booklets distributed by the primary schools, so that information reaches and engages with parents of pupil premium pupils.

Sixth formers will be trained to go into primary schools and deliver familiarisation activities aimed at helping pupils prepare for the selection tests in 3 weekly sessions. In consultation with primary school staff this support will be targeted at pupil premium pupils.

Fourteen schools regularly join the school for its sports festivals:

• Bethany Junior School
• Christ the King Primary School
• Kingsleigh Primary School
• Moordown St John’s Primary School
• Muscliff Primary School
• Queen’s Park Academy
• St James’ Primary Academy
• St Luke’s Primary School
• St Mark’s Primary School
• St Michael’s Primary School
• St Katharine’s Primary School
• St Walburga’s Primary School
• The Epiphany School
• Winton Primary School

This provides opportunities for these schools’ pupils to engage with the grammar school, consider it as a possible destination and meet year 10 pupils who act as mentors.

The headteacher visits primary schools to talk about the school and to explain the admissions process and how best to prepare for the tests (5 schools):

• Bethany Junior School
• Malmesbury Park Primary School
• Moordown St Johns CE Primary
• St Katharine’s CE Primary

This will continue and the offer will be expanded to all other schools.

The school seeks to dispel myths about the test by conducting a survey each year of all parents of pupils in year 7 to assess the impact of private tutoring and share these results with prospective parents to show that tutoring is unnecessary.

The school offers uniform grants for disadvantaged pupils and pays for the cost of trips and visits, as well as music and swimming lessons. This will continue.

The school works in a consortium of local selective schools to align testing arrangements, to avoid children having to take several selection tests for different schools. This will continue.

Partnership

Plans are currently being formulated to develop the school’s partnerships with other schools in areas where schools identify a need. Key activities proposed are:

• the school will use year 11 and 12 students as mentors and to provide peer coaching in literacy and numeracy
• the school will deliver shared events (science and maths days, use of labs and facilities, music programmes, art lessons)
• the school will develop its existing programme of subject conferences for Continuous Professional Development and the annual careers convention
• the school will participate in other secondary school post 16 fairs to highlight the opportunities for sixth form study at BSG

• the school will use its links through the South West Academic Trust to engage with other local non-selective secondary schools , for example by offering subsidised teacher places on the regional teaching and learning conference supported by Exeter University