HEAD teacher David Anderson is hoping to dispel the stereotype of the exclusivity of grammar schools, by creating more spaces for prospective Year 7 pupils at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (QE) in Faversham.

As primary school children nervously prepare to receive their 11-plus exam results, which will determine their eligibility to enter selective education, for many this is just the beginning of the struggle.

Grammar schools such as QE are often over-subscribed, and some pupils who qualify are unable to secure a place due to high demand and a postcode lottery.

But Mr Anderson is hoping to reverse this trend, by increasing the number of places available and expanding the school's catchment area.

Mr Anderson said: "Our school is very popular. We used to have a huge intake of pupils from coastal towns such as Herne Bay and Whitstable, but now many are left disappointed.

"Not long ago, our catchment area covered 16 miles, but this has shrunk to about 5.5 miles because demand is so high."

Mr Anderson is hoping to gain some of these pupils back, by increasing its intake from four-form entry to five-form entry, from September 2011. This will open up about 20 new places at the Abbey Place school. The move will also reduce class sizes from 33 pupils to 28, which according to Mr Anderson will make a considerable difference to teaching.

He explained: "It might seem insignificant, but it will improve the quality of the pupils' learning immensely. It will also enable teachers to deliver more personalised and interactive teaching."

Mr Anderson, QE's head since January 2008, hopes to disprove the common view of grammar schools as insular and remote, and has already achieved this to a certain extent by encouraging pupils to learn beyond the classroom.

Many engage in community projects in Year 11 – an opportunity afforded to them because some GCSE exams are taken a year earlier than in most schools. This relieves the pressure of the final year and allows the pupils to look further afield.

Mr Anderson said: "Students take four GCSEs early, in Year 10. This gives them a more flexible, less pressurised timetable in Year 11, freeing up time for additional GCSE courses, an early start to AS courses, and community service-type opportunities which give them valuable life skills.

"I want to push the pupils as much as possible to see how far it can take them. They are responding very well, with Year 9 pupils' results being almost as good as those in Year 10."

The co-educational school also works with other organisations and schools in the town, including the Abbey School, which takes advantage of the QE's special teaching in maths, computing and language.

Another major improvement implemented since Mr Anderson's arrival is the introduction of overseas field trips for the pupils, who previously undertook geography field work on the Faversham marshes. Now venturing considerably further afield, the pupils visit countries including Cuba, America, Morocco and India, and their German exchange programme is the oldest in the country.

All of these measures are consistent with Mr Anderson's aim to ensure the school is an integral part of the local, national and global community.

Primary school pupils who are considering applying for grammar school places will receive their 11-plus exam results on Tuesday, October 19.

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School holds an open morning for prospective pupils from 9am until 12pm on Tuesday and an open evening from 6pm until 8pm on Thursday, October 21. To make an appointment for a tour, call the school office on 01795 533132 or e-mail office@queenelizabeths.kent.sch.uk