Editing Comprehensive school (section)

{{Short description|Type of school}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
[[File:School_buildings_.jpg|thumb|[[Chulmleigh College]], Devon is a coeducational comprehensive secondary school with [[Academy (English school)|academy]] status.]]A '''comprehensive school''' is a [[secondary school]] for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a [[selective school]] system where admission is restricted on the basis of selection criteria, usually academic performance. The term is commonly used in relation to [[England and Wales]], where comprehensive schools were introduced as [[state schools]] on an experimental basis in the 1940s and became more widespread from 1965.

About 90% of English secondary school pupils attend such schools (academy schools, community schools, faith schools, foundation schools, free schools, studio schools, university technical colleges, state boarding schools, City Technology Colleges, etc). Specialist schools may however select up to 10% of their intake for aptitude in their specialism. A school may have a few specialisms, like arts (media, performing arts, visual arts), business and enterprise, engineering, humanities, languages, mathematics, computing, music, science, sports, and technology. They are not permitted to select on academic ability generally.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Green |first1=Francis |title=[[Engines of Privilege|Engines of privilege : Britain's private school problem]] |last2=Kynaston |first2=David |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-5266-0127-8 |location=London |oclc=1108696740 |authorlink2=David Kynaston}}</ref>

They may be part of a [[local education authority]] or be a [[Academy (English school)|self governing academy]] or part of a [[multi-academy trust]]. Comprehensive schools correspond broadly to the [[state school|public school]] in the United States, Canada and Australia.