Special Scholarship Places

Special "Scholarship" Places

General Information

To begin with the majority of pupils at the School were fee-paying, but as the years went by more and more pupils were awarded special places that were funded by the County Council. To gain a special place a pupil had to pass an examination that became known as the “scholarship” examination.

For a long time the number of special places in secondary schools awarded was restricted to 30% of the previous year’s total intake. Councillor F R Cripps, who appears to have been a champion of educational reform in Worthing, argued strongly that this restriction had the result that many deserving pupils were denied the education that was warranted by their ability.

At the end of 1935 the West Sussex Education Committee decided to introduce, as a three-year experiment, psychological tests into the examinations for the award of special places at secondary schools, alongside attainment tests in English and Arithmetic. The reason for doing this seems to have been primarily to assist in identifying pupils who were “educationally sub-normal” than for identifying pupils who qualified for a special place.

By 1938 the number of special places awarded across the county had risen to 35% but there were calls to increase this number as some authorities were already awarding such places to 100% of the secondary school places available.

Not all special places awarded were taken up, the usual reason for this being that the parents could not afford to buy the uniform and other kit required. In some instances Head Teachers would modify the requirements. Also the County Council could make maintenance grants of up to £10 to pupils over the age of 14, but that did not really help parents of pupils entering secondary education at the age of 11.

Right into the 1940s parents of children who had passed the examination were faced with means testing that sometimes had the result that the child concerned was denied access to a secondary school by its parents. The debate over the special places scheme and the proportion of special places raged on. In 1943 a proposal was made to divide secondary education into three sections: grammar, modern, and technical whilst continuing with parental contributions for a limited period.

The scholarship examination held in March 1945 was the first to be held under the new regime whereby all the available places at the Worthing High Schools were free to those who passed the examination.

Before any pupils of the requisite age, 10 to 12 years old, could sit the examination they had to be nominated by their Head teachers who were required to hand copies of the regulations governing the examination process to the parents of the pupils who had been nominated.

Sample documents associated with the examination procedure

Regulations

Arithmetic Examination

English Examination

Award Notification

Parent Undertaking

Introduction by Headmaster

The Regulations (Historical Sample)

Regulations

WEST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL - EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

EXAMINATION FOR

Special Places at Secondary Schools, 1934.

The Examination will be held on SATURDAY, MARCH 24th. 1934.

Conditions and Regulations.

1. All Special Places tenable at the Maintained and Aided Secondary Schools in the County will be awarded on the result of this Examination, and no separate Examination will be held by the Governors of the Aided Secondary Schools, although candidates may be interviewed by the Head Masters of these Schools in certain cases.

2. Candidates for Special Places must not be under 10 nor over 12 years of age on 1st August 1934. And must have been under instruction in a Public Elementary School or Schools for at least two years immediately preceding admission to the Secondary School.

3. The parents or legal guardians of candidates must be bona-fide residents in the administrative County of West Sussex.

4. A Preliminary Examination will be held at the Elementary Schools on Tuesday, January 23rd. 1934, for the purpose of selecting candidates to sit for the Special Places Examination.

5. Each candidate recommended by his or her Head Teacher to take the Special Places Examination must fill in a printed form of entry to be obtained from the Head Teacher, who will return all completed forms to the Secretary for Education, County Education Office, Northgate, Chichester on or before February 10th 1934.

6. Candidates will be examined at convenient Centres, viz. at BOGNOR REGIS, CHICHESTER, FITTLEWORTH, HORSHAM, LITTLEHAMPTON, MIDHURST, NORTHCHAPEL, PETWORTH, STEYNING, and WORTHING.

7. Full fees, or part fees, will be chargeable, or exemption from fees will be allowed, in respect of candidates gaining Special Places, after an examination of the financial circumstances of their parents or legal guardians, judged according to a scale approved by the West Sussex County Council and by the Board of education.

8. It is the intention of the Education Committee to review all awards of special Places annually. If the financial circumstances of the parent or legal guardian change during the tenure of the award, the value of the Special Place will be revised. All awards, therefore, will be subject to review and alteration at any time during the school career of the holder.

9. The parent or guardian of a pupil awarded a Special Place will be required to sign an Undertaking that the pupil will not be removed from the Secondary School until at least the end of the School Year, ie. July 31st, in which the age of 16 years is attained.

10. The tenure of a Special Place is subject to satisfactory reports being received from the School as to attendance, conduct and progress. It is also a condition of the award of a Special Place that satisfactory measures shall be taken by the parents or guardians to remedy any physical defect to which attention may be called by theSchool Medical Officer, and which would prevent the child from taking full advantage of a Secondary School Education.

11. In the case of pupils holding or awarded Free Place Scholarships or Special Places by the Education Committee or Scholarships or Special Places awarded by the Governors of any of the Aided Secondary Schools in West Sussex, either or both of the following grants may be made after an examination of the financial circumstances of the parents or guardians, judged according to a scale adopted by the County Council and approved by the Board of Education:-

(i) Payment of travelling expenses between residence and School,

(ii) A Maintenance Allowance of not exceeding £10 per annum to pupils of 14 years of age and over.

12. Such grants are subject to review and alteration at any time during the school career of the holder.

13. Before the final award of Special Places, the Education Committee may require any candidate to attend for interview at the County Education Office, Northgate, Chichester.

14. In the event of removal to another Area, the Education Committee is generally able to arrange for the transfer of the Free or Special Place. The Committee is also prepared to accept responsibility for the award held by a Free or Special Place Pupil in another Area, whose parents or guardians become bona-fide residents in West Sussex. The value of the award held by a Special Place Pupil removing into this Area will depend on the financial circumstances of the parents or guardians, judged according to a scale adopted by the County Council and approved by the Board of Education.

15. CORRESPONDENCE. All correspondence with regard to the Examination must be addressed to the Secretary for Education, County Education Office, Northgate, Chichester, and in all matters connected with Special Places the decision of the Education Committee is final.

N.B. THE COMMITTEE RESERVE TO THEMSELVES THE RIGHT TO ALTER THESE CONDITIONS.

EVAN T. DAVIS,

Secretary for Education

December. 1933.