DS (10) sat the entrance exam for an isolated grammar in the next county (we have none in our LEA). He decided in early August to give it a go. We assumed, because of last-minute prep and no external tutoring and how far out of catchment we are, that he probably wouldn't pass – and even if he did, that he wouldn't get in with us living so far away – but he fancied the challenge so went for it anyway, for experience as much as anything. He did pass, and we've been told he has a 50:50 chance of getting a place if we put the school as first preference on DS's secondary application form.
This has put us in a bit of a quandary, because we just hadn't thought it would be an option. DS had homed in on a reasonable comprehensive about a 15-minute drive away – compared to the hour-long public transport trip he'd have to and from the grammar. Transport would be an issue for us. I would have to pay for it as DS's dad and I are not together, and maintenance payments are erratic. The grammar is also in the opposite direction from where I work, should transport not work out sometimes. I work full-time. Whatever we go for has to be affordable and workable for me (as opposed to me and DS's dad as a team).
I've spoken to the comprehensive about how well it caters for kids of DS's ability. It streams for most subjects from Year 8 and seems to get good results with these children. Overall (across all ability levels), 55-70% of pupils achieve at least five A*-C grades including maths and English, depending on a given year's cohort – so not bad but not consistently better than mediocre either. It feels like a nice school – friendly, outdoorsy, relatively few behavioural issues. It has been rated 'good' by Ofsted. But there are curriculum restrictions – geography or history, French or German – and I think pupils taking the academic route tend to sit only about eight GCSEs, occasionally one or two more. I don't mind this if they get eight good grades and have reasonable subject choices.
The grammar is in a different league – super high-achieving – with Latin and other foreign languages in the mix too. Otherwise, it's not too dissimilar subject-wise from the comprehensive – but a lot more GCSEs are taken. There's more, and very competitive, sport and DS loves sport. But the day is longer, there's way more homework, and DS would lose a few hours a day to travel on top of that. He wouldn't know anyone there (his closest friends are planning to go to the comprehensive he likes). And it's single-sex and he really likes having friends who are girls too. He is bright, has been working at level 5 (6 for maths) for close to a year and picks things up so fast, but is quite down-to-earth too – he isn't the kind of kid who comes home and wants to immerse himself in a book; he likes Xbox, his friends and lives for football. He really enjoys school, and his teacher has been superb at challenging him and taking him as far as he can go – but he likes the cut-off at the end of the day and then having his own life and doing his own thing, which I fear he wouldn't get enough of if he were to go to the grammar.
I feel that he has the chance of a highly rigorous academic education at the grammar, and all the opportunities that could lead to in his future, but I'm not convinced he'd be as happy there as at the comprehensive. And he'd have to sacrifice a lot more time to school/travel. But I don't want him to go to the comprehensive and then under-perform. I still want him to achieve what he's capable of. And I feel guilty (and a bit mad?!) to be contemplating throwing away the possibility of a place at a school that other parents seem to have invested their lives (and wallets) in for years.
So to the secondary application form ... WWYD?
Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.
Secondary education
DS has unexpectedly passed 11+ - should we apply for grammar place or stick with comprehensive?
LegsBenedict · 20/10/2014 15:06
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