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Research into the impact of Assisted Places

12 January 2017

Research into the long-term impact of Assisted Places on the academic achievements and life opportunities of Old Edwardians who benefited from free places is being conducted by maths teacher Peter Ollis, as part of his PhD.

Peter, who is studying for a doctorate at the University of Birmingham, is investigating the outcomes of Old Edwardians who attended King Edward’s on full Direct Grants or Assisted Places. The academic achievements of recent free place pupils is being reviewed alongside the views of Old Edwardians who have left the School within the last 40 years.

Although King Edward’s has a strong track record of providing Assisted Places and done much to ensure that the School remains accessible, there has never been any specific research into the academic achievements of recipients, or into how a KES education informs subsequent life opportunities. Peter’s research will fill this gap, promising to offer fascinating insights into recent social history as well as providing useful context for today’s teachers. 

Thank you to all those Old Edwardians who offered to take part in Peter’s research – the response was overwhelming – and we look forward to sharing the outcome of this research in due course.

Assisted Places are, and will remain, vital to the School, and the support of the Old Edwardian community has been crucial in ensuring that we are able to offer an outstanding education to bright boys regardless of their financial circumstances. Exciting plans are afoot to build upon the success of the AP100 Campaign and sustain current levels of provision in the long-term. Further details will be shared with Old Edwardians soon.