How clever to get into Grammar school?

May not help, but I tried the Sutton grammars for my DS, who is sitting level 6 SATs for maths and will leave school with either 5B or 5A for both writing and comprehension. As you probably know, these aren't exceptional scores, but they do suggest an academically able child who would get into a grammar were places plentiful - like your DC, if I understand you correctly, a "top table" child, but not top of the class.

DS passed the Sutton grammars selective eligibility pretest (which identifies, IIRC, the top 750 kids out of about 2,500 applicants), but failed the individual papers for both Wallington County and Wilson's. My guess is that his English wasn't up to scratch at the time.

We've since done quite a lot of work and gone the independent route, which clearly is at a tangent to your thread: but the 11+ forums are helpful, and there are lots of mothers who have done the drill at home with their DCs on Mumsnet as well. For what it's worth, I'm fairly certain that one thing that scuppered my DS was that his literacy was lagging his maths.

Is getting a full bursary at a private school less competitive than getting into grammar?

Mumtobe, you sound sensible , but some parents on this thread sound way to pushy for words.
For affordable adulation for girls look at the girls day school trust .
Most private school offer assistant for talented or able children with a family income below a certain level. A girls in one of my daughters classes was on a full Bursary with school uniform and lunches paid for .

Also depends on your primary school in a way. My dds school always have a high proportion of children going to grammar. Out of 15 girls, 8 went to grammar and 6/15 boys.
The other primary schools in the town nearer the grammar, they might only send 2 or 3 in total.
Have you spoken to the head about it specifically in relation to your dd? Our school was very experienced in assessing as so many go if that makes sense

TalkinPeace - Grammar in different but adjacent county. Thought I said local comp not comps.

MrsRuff, we have paid for private education for four children . Only the last two went to a grammar for sixth form.
We prioritised , sometime not having holiday etc.
I thing good education is important but some of these poor kids are being pushed so hard the life squeezed out of them. It's a sad state of affairs.

Lowclouds
Top cohort in local comp not even close to providing same cohort, same level of education or attempts at motivation. Capped at L 7 for Y 9 (except in Maths), whereas local grammar levels at actual level ie L 9 + EP if necessary
that is a failing of an individual school, not comps
and actually if there are "local grammars" its not a comp

V what are you talking about . Obviously children need a good education but reading this thread I fear for them. And I expect lots of these parents could afford to pay school fees but just don't prioritise .
Passing exams isn't everything. All four of my children got 12A*s at gcse but that's not everything . Children need to grow and develop their personalities instead of just focusing on exams.
There are lots of great schools not everyone needs to force feed their academic extra to go to grammar.
Places are over subscribed and taking to a friend who is head of a local boys grammar , he says he would rather give a place to a boy who will play rugby for the school rather than one who won't .

TalkinPeace - even so, even so. Top cohort in local comp not even close to providing same cohort, same level of education or attempts at motivation. Capped at L 7 for Y 9 (except in Maths), whereas local grammar levels at actual level ie L 9 + EP if necessary.

lowclouds
the "cohort" that DCs are in is broad spectrum, but the classes they are taught in are not
and the sets vary depending on ability in lots of subjects,
rather than the narrow selection of topics in the 11+

tiggytape - I wish what you said was true. Your sentiment exactly reflects where I was 3 years ago until experience challenged my view. Sadly, SOME bright children who need a bright cohort for motivation to perform tend to fail in broad spectrum cohorts.

For many people, grammar school can provide educational opportunities for their children that they could only have dreamed of, so they are understandably going to do everything they can to help them gain a place there
If only that was true
but it was barely true before the 1970's and is certainly not true now.

Too many, far too many threads about prep schools not getting all the kids into grammar school and thousands of pounds spent on tutoring show the reality of selective schools in England.

I think my DDs would be very bewildered by the idea of anyone feeling sorry for them! DD1 loves her grammar school and is so happy she goes there, and DD2 is certainly not stressed or overworked in her eleven plus prep. I don't think we should judge other people's education decisions. For many people, grammar school can provide educational opportunities for their children that they could only have dreamed of, so they are understandably going to do everything they can to help them gain a place there. I agree with not pressurising children, but a little extra work is not going to kill them, and a place at a grammar school can open doors. It's not for everyone, but I don't think that wanting the best education for your child is a crime.

Lots of schools are also partially selective and allocate 10% of places based on an exam allowing children who live too further away the chance of a place. Quite a few have music, art, drama and other aptitude tests to allocate 10% of places as well.

Not in this county
we have "comps" as in comprehensively providing for every child in the area or is edges

wow
I now understand why Hampshire districts whump so much of the rest of the country on "quality of life" measures
we are much less stressed than poor parents subjected to such stresses

Vixxxen
If your DD is in year 2, find a way to move into Hart Council : comps and the best quality of life in the country

Oh kitchensink maybe I should just adopt PiLs approach and dont give a shit about my child's education, send my child to a horrible school and let her be bullied by peers and teachers because her dyslexia will be mistaken for stupidity. But dont worry. Once she is at home she can enjoy her childhood watching as much TV and playing as much games as she wants. I can also turn a blind eye for her playing truant and going off to experiment alcohol and drinks . So maybe she will turn out just like my Dh with very low self esteem, not knowing how to use her potential and working her ass off in a long hours menial bad paid job. Or maybe I could follow my own mother example who let me drop off a good fee paying school to go to a less than mediocre comp just because I didn't want to do homework. She believed that I was old enough to make choices and mistakes. Guess what? I am paying a very high price for the mistake I made and I would rather more guidance than freedom at that point.

Sibling is admission code
distance is catchment
ANYTHING involving exams = not a comp

phew, thank goodness I live in a proper comp area
if only more of the country had the same luxury

talking peace, once my internet is back I can copy and paste the admission criteria here but from what I understood from their website, some % of the places are allocated to high scorers on Y6 exam, some other % to sibilings and the remaining % to local children. Well, I live in the school's borough but I am not so local and dd has no sibilings there so it leave us with the pressure of doing well in this Y6 exam. But maybe this is me misunderstsnding the rules?

please name the comp that has an entrance exame and we can ALL report them to the Dfe and Ofqual

Most of our local 'conprehensive' schools are partially selective. You either have to have a sibling already there, live within about 300m or score high on the exam. There are a few non-selective schools left, but they are further away and tricky to travel to.

What about their quality of life.

Yes, kitchen? What about it? Mine will have a great quality of life at the sink school they will have to attend if they don't pass the 11+.

Is it pushy to want a decent education for your child? We're not all lucky enough to be in the catchment for a brilliant comprehensive, like you are (I'm assuming?).

even to go into a good comp in my area she needs to do well in a exam
sorry?
please name the comp that has an entrance exame and we can ALL report them to the Dfe and Ofqual

kitchensinkmum: sometimes the choice is the child's. DS1 really wanted to go to a particular school. He loved it when he visited it and was willing to work hard in preparation for the test. He asked for a tutor, which wasn't financially or logistically possible, but I promised to help him as much as I could. He is in Y9 now and very happy there, so I have no regrets.