Schools admission criteria......

Most parents work hard and value education and their children go to state schools. It doesnt make you or your children any better!

So you shouldn't have to send your kid to a shit school because you're all normal, but the abnormal families shouldn't be given any help to avoid them? Because the abnormal children should have just come from a nice normal family like yours? God forbidyoud have had an abnormal child yourself or your circumstances should ever change this making your children abnormal. It doesn't take much to plunge the average family into a distater that would render them, by your words, abnormal. If something changed in your life and you ended up on a low income / dealing with a child with additional needs etc would you be happy for everyone to go around pointing out how abnormal your family is?

Thats life. Most kids have to go to "sink fail" schools

OMG don't be so disingenuous. You couldn't care less about "how to ensure good schooling for all." You just want your own child to attend a grammar school, not due to her own merit but through the privilege of having a sibling at the school. And you would happily leapfrog your way over extremely vulnerable children to gain that unearned advantage. At least be honest about your appalling views. Or have you realised that they are indefensible and now you're trying desperately to backpedal?

@LookingforMaryPoppins shall you object to those care leavers being offered a place at University also? If you perceive a place being taken from your daughter. I mean they may had to complete an Access to HE course to gain a place. Will they be stealing a place from children like your daughters.

During my undergraduate years I was in receipt of benefits. I had to listen to silly girls from families like yours thinking it was easy for me. Receiving the small amount of money I did in benefits was pocket money in their eyes. Not an ounce of understanding that what was pocket money to them had to purchase my food, travel and pay the bills. While they were able to purchase fancy clothes, handbags and make-up. Interestingly one of the privileged girls was very good friends with a member of the lovely Labour councillor group Shiver-me-timbers who informed me that the likes of me only get a place in universities and employment as they tick-a-box.

I was not able to work during the breaks and gain work experience, I would loose the small amount of benefit money. I volunteered instead and sacrificed holidays. When they went to complete a Masters in 2008. I had to wait until Post Graduate student loans were available in 2016.

i actually do not have an issue with parents choosing private education, or indeed tutoring. If I was to adopt a child. They would be going to a fee paying school to support their learning needs. I just happen to recognise some of the privilege I do have. Without feeling the need to punch down.

By the way a grammar school ethos does not guarantee success for children in care. I actually attended a school which had a grammar school ethos. Unfortunately during my mandatory education years, I was labelled as educationally subnormal for the crime of being a foster child being raised in a higher socioeconomic environment.

I left school with no qualifications. It was an access course at 24 that enabled me to attend university. I did get equivalent to 3 A’s at A-level, then BSc 2:1 (68%) and MA: Merit (72%) just in case those with your attitude think I stole a place from another more deserving student.

Please stop using the word ‘normal’! You are inferring that those families with LAC, PLAC or PP are in some way ‘abnormal’. This whole thread is wild. I’m appalled.

Please address these very valid points, @LookingforMaryPoppins

I should be eternally grateful for a place in a sink school rather than raising the issue and discussing how to ensure good schooling for all

Could you point us to where you have tried to discuss how to ensure good
schooling for all? Because I have only read about you complaining about lack of sibling preference at the grammar school, but perhaps I missed your discussion posts.

How is prioritising vulnerable children dragging everyone down?

Name the region/town where every non grammar is a sink school with only 20% passes.

As I’ve asked before - tell us the name of the school where they are being inundated by PP and LAC children (or even matching their local demographics for these groups) or you really are a hoax poster trying to stir up resentment. No one can be this hateful towards children who have suggested significant harm or abuse and so have been removed from their families or those who (in your tone) have the misfortune to have come from abnormal, lazy families.

The assumption that everyone other that PP are not struggling financially is wrong IMO

Luckily, no one on the thread has said this.

No-one is being "dragged down" by the attempt to support disadvantaged children.

@LookingforMaryPoppins was there a sibling preference when your first DD applied?

Giving children a more level playing field is absolutely not dragging everybody down.

No siblings absolutely should not be a priority, it should be on ability after cared for and PP.

I have never in my life been jealous of children in foster care. Or thought they were somehow getting a leg up over my own children. It’s such a strange stance I can’t actually believe this is a real person.

It’s truly startling to see someone say it’s not fair to prioritise cared for children but also fair to prioritise siblings because they’re ‘normal’? I have no idea what that means.

I’d be really interested to see if any LAC pass the 11+. In our LA (thankfully without grammars) not one LAC passed their KS2 SATs. This is terrible and I doubt very few of this group of children even get chance to take the 11+. I’d like to see vulnerable children being more advantaged - otherwise the socio economic divide in our country is just going to get bigger and bigger. And that is not healthy for our society.

There even appears to be resentment that a PP fund supports their opportunity to go on educational trips.
Oh then there's the "dragging down" that they do. Of course.

Yes.

Sorry, you think it’s unfair that children who are removed from their families and live in care but somehow have still managed to pass the 11plus shouldn’t have priority? You astound me in your lack of self awareness.

@Christmasjoy6 - your last paragraph in particular - thank you.
I find it hard to read the OP's posts, and struggle to understand why anyone could have this attitude. She keeps doubling down, though.

You are misinformed and have repeatedly stated things that are not true. We all want the best for our children but, unlike you, most of us don’t want this at the expense of the most vulnerable in society.

What on earth is a ‘normal working family’ that you keep saying are so disadvantaged?

What is the name of the grammar school where children like your daughter are being pushed out of by the children of the lazy poor and who are asking parents to subsidise the trips 9f other (against school funding agreements).

Where are you living that all the other non grammar schools are sink schools? Surely it can’t be that bad because all the ‘disadvantaged normal’ children who are being forced out of grammars by PP and LAC children must be going there.

share this information to add some actual facts to your posts. If not I don’t believe this is a real post as no one can actually be this inaccurate and hateful to vulnerable children as you have been in your posts.

@LookingforMaryPoppins having siblings rule for selective isn’t giving all children a fair opportunity

selective is about the merits of the child academically (and yes have had a child go through one years 7-11 before they left now year 12) and shouldn’t be about who can bloody tutor the most (and did god the money spent on tutoring we were definitely in the minority never tutoring)

If a child has got there on pupil premium my god they deserve it - looked after even more so

wjo doesn’t is someone getting there on their siblings merit.

plus isn’t it down to score? I always thought it was

Yes, of course it's just sooooo unfair to prioritise children who have suffered so much trauma that they are in care but manage to pass the 11+ anyway. Obviously, those children deserve to attend a "sink school." That's the proper place for them, right? 🙄 OTOH your daughter should most definitely go to the grammar school. After all, she's from a "normal family" and therefore intrinsically sooooo much better than those children in care or on pupil premium. 🙄

Seriously, how can you possibly even believe what you've written? I would like to think you're intentionally trying to wind people up. But I'm afraid you do believe that somehow your DD is entitled to attend the grammar school, because. . .? You've never explained why, except that her sister already goes there. So what? If a school is selective, sibling attendance should never enter the picture.

I really hope you rethink your (untenable) position. Get a grip and think about children other than your own.

Really?? Is this a thing now?

This ⬆️. She's not responding to our posts on this issue.