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Original poster

Worst forms of selection in schools: Views of M'snetters

560 replies

thankgodimretired · 26/09/2014 14:55

Interviews?
Questions concerning parental income?
Academic selection?
Previous school reports?
Decisions made by committee about whether to exclude certain individuals from attending?

Having just recently retired from the teaching profession, I am struck by how little things have changed over the course of my working life. There are certainly less overtly selective schools in the state sector than when I started out teaching in South London in the late 1970's. But the independents, grammars and faith schools appear to be more socially exclusive than at any time.

OP posts:
happygardening · 30/09/2014 23:00

I thought corns were those things you get on your feet when your shoes don't fit why would you get them in your hair or want your hair looking like corns you find on your feet? Where does the blood come from?
I know I live under a nice peaceful rural stone but I'm struggling to follow this thread.

MumTryingHerBest · 30/09/2014 22:59

thankgodimretired can I just ask what a child's hair style has to do with their ability to learn and be educated (unless their fringe is too long for them to see what they are writing etc.)?

MumTryingHerBest · 30/09/2014 22:58

thankgodimretired - that's how they speak who?

Original poster
thankgodimretired · 30/09/2014 22:55

Many kids come into lessons with 'corn hairstyles bloods'(that's how they speak)

OP posts:
MumTryingHerBest · 30/09/2014 22:54

happygardening with corns (what on earth are they, the only corn I know grows in our fields) in their hair. food fight perhaps :-)

Original poster
thankgodimretired · 30/09/2014 22:54

Over the course of my career I've told many kids whether they're good enough to go on to university, those that have been have gone on to wonderful things by and large.

There's a complete absence of plain speaking on forums such as this.

It's all wishy washy namby pamby stuff.

OP posts:
happygardening · 30/09/2014 22:53

My DS1 was at an academy I'm no great fan of it despite it's positively glowing ofstead report and being the counties top performing school. I know the pupils have respect for the staff and that they don't come into lessons behaving in an aggressive manner, eating fast food (we're rural so there's no where to buy it round here) and with corns (what on earth are they, the only corn I know grows in our fields) in their hair.

MumTryingHerBest · 30/09/2014 22:51

thankgodimretired you know the ones I'm referring to. Not, not really. You made a statement about all academies. Perhaps you meant the likes of Watford Boys Grammar (an academy), Watford Girls Grammar (an academy).

Pico2 · 30/09/2014 22:49

I'm sure you have visited every academy to back up your statement.

I'd guess that you have too much time on your hands. But I am really struggling to believe that you were a teacher and have retired.

happygardening · 30/09/2014 22:47

"if your no longer teaching your no longer a teacher"
Interesting point and not that black and white I suspect. A doctor still calls himself a doctor even if he's retired, my neighbour a retired high court judge is referred as Judge X.
I also think that psychologically you remain a teacher, policeman, nurse social worker or whatever even after you've retired and are no longer practising.

Original poster
thankgodimretired · 30/09/2014 22:47

God no, Parmiter's is a very good school.

It's not one of those Academies is it, you know the ones I'm referring to.

OP posts:
MumTryingHerBest · 30/09/2014 22:46

thankgodimretired All academies lack standards, the pupils have no respect, they come into lessons behaving in an aggressive manner, eating fast food, and with corns in their hair. So you think this describes the selective academies such as Parmiters?

Original poster
thankgodimretired · 30/09/2014 22:43

All academies lack standards, the pupils have no respect, they come into lessons behaving in an aggressive manner, eating fast food, and with corns in their hair.

My average student, I'm sorry to say.

OP posts:
MumTryingHerBest · 30/09/2014 22:41

thankgodimretired put an end to Harris Academies... Is it just Harris Academies you want rid of or all Academies?

Original poster
thankgodimretired · 30/09/2014 22:39

I'm passionate about pedagogy, I was always a rebel at heart.

OP posts:
tallyhoho · 30/09/2014 22:37

I cannot believe a teacher of so long Wink would be posting as you do Confused.

Original poster
thankgodimretired · 30/09/2014 22:36

Bring them back...put an end to Harris Academies...

OP posts:
tallyhoho · 30/09/2014 22:34

Thank God, where did you teach? If you are no longer teaching that makes you no longer a teacher. If you retire from the police you no longer are a police officer. Where are there still GM schools? Confused.

smokepole · 30/09/2014 22:32

Sorry 23 students ! did not achieve not 26...

happygardening · 30/09/2014 22:29

"Don't badger me. I'm warning you now."
Is this where I'm going wrong? Will this get rid of those whose opinions I find badgering or dislike. Where's Halkuyt shall I try it on her?
Oh hang on a minute this is an open forum and we live in a free country where people can express their own opinions however bizarre and even others disagree.

OP even if you have a valid point of view, frankly I don't know anything about the state schools you mention to comment, your manner is just not going to endear you or your points of view to anyone on here.

smokepole · 30/09/2014 22:28

The London Oratory is a effectively a "Grammar School" with a 73/27% split of High/Middle ability students. 87% 5A*-C Maths/English is Very poor!

26 students out of 184 in a "Grammar School" failed to achieve the benchmark of 5 A* -C GCSEs including Maths/English that is a poor statistic for the school .

LaVolcan · 30/09/2014 22:27

The idea is that companies be signed up in conjunction with the school gaining incentives from the Government for employing such students.

Given that on the whole, work based training leaves much to be desired, I fail to see how bribing companies to take the less academic children would work. It would depend on the size of the bribe, I suppose.

Having proper high status apprenticeships might work, but not if the more academic children are encouraged to try for Oxbridge/Russell group universities instead of considering them.

MumTryingHerBest · 30/09/2014 22:23

*thankgodimretired The Oratory was certainly one of the most oversubscribed schools" Compared to?

BTW, I wasn't asking if they were selective, I was more interested in the claim that these schools were "Giving a kid from a rough side of town a chance in life" as certainly a number of those on your list, despite still using selection, are certainly not doing that anymore.

At what point did the selective schools you have listed stop giving these kids a chance in life (assuming they ever did)?

Original poster
thankgodimretired · 30/09/2014 22:16

The Oratory was certainly one of the most oversubscribed schools.

John Fisher's (I'm not entirely sure this is the name) a Catholic school in Surrey at which a colleague was head of dept. was extremely selective by all accounts, at one time this school asked parents for details concerning their income.

Cooper's Company was a private school in all but name.

OP posts:
TheOriginalSteamingNit · 30/09/2014 22:14

I'm assuming this is meant to be funny now?