The most Socially Selective schools in England.

"Panicking devotees of the magazine can nonetheless rest easy that little Rupert or Hermione are not being asked to rough it in the playgrounds of Peckham or Slough."

On a related note, The Independent has picked up this story from Tatler today;

www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/notoriously-elitist-magazine-tatler-selects-its-acceptable-staterun-schools-9953460.html

Not many State schools have Fives teams.

Not many private schools have Fives teams either. Because not many schools have Fives teams.

Not many schools teach the ocarina, serpent, spoons or washboard either.

There will always be a rare sport, instrument or hobby that is hard to find in any school, or indeed in any club at all.

Went to look round one of the schools on the list a couple of years ago when DS was coming to the end of primary school. I was really struck by just how affluent the surrounding area looked, on top of which I know that there is a hefty 'prospect of free grammar school education' premium on house prices there. It just would be very difficult for a lower income family to find suitable accommodation in the catchment area.

It seems a shame to me that one of the few remaining state grammars in the country is in the middle of a leafy suburb, where the sort of people that grammar schools were originally intended for, could never afford to live.

I'm not surprised at all that the particular school in question has made it onto the 'most socially selective' list.

As it happens, my DS did not sit the entrance exam for that school and is now at an independent school. His current school ploughs a lot of money into its bursary scheme that provides boys from lower income families the opportunity to attend if they pass the entrance exam and qualify for financial help. Up to 100% of the fees can be paid from the bursary fund. Other private schools have similar schemes.

I don't know what the free school meal figures are for DS's school, but I'm inclined to think that this private school might be doing as much for social mobility as the state school mentioned earlier!

I'm not saying that bursary schemes in independent schools is the answer. I don't know what is. But state grammar schools seem to have turned into an opportunity for a good free education - but only if you are rich. And that can't be right.

Happygardening
THe sporting opportunities at state and fee paying schools are different.
Not many State schools have Fives teams.
Then again the bigger state schools by sheer force of numbers can churn through the multiple squads in team sports to get the results.

When I did tennis in the PE lessons we were 8 to a court and one teacher to 30 (private school)
When DCs did it at comp school it was exactly the same.

DDs college has both Equestrian and skiing teams - but then its huge and has a rather affluent catchment!

There's an article in Tatler mentioning Borlase's equestrian team:

[[SIR WILLIAM BORLASE'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL (Buckinghamshire)
PUPILS 1,031 boys and girls, aged 11-18
Girls turn down places at Wycombe Abbey to go to Borlase's. 'You are swept up by the sense of pride the pupils have in their school,' says a parent. Head Dr Peter Holding has been at the helm since 1997 and teaches every child during their first year. Entry is selective: prospective pupils sit the Bucks County Council tests, with more than four applicants for every place at 11-plus - those living within the catchment area get priority. The academic results are exceptional - 83 per cent A*-B at A-level last year - with particular strength in maths and the sciences. Sport is also outstanding: the hockey club was coached by members of the GB Olympic team and the rowing club compete internationally. There's also a brilliant equestrian team. Oh, and superlative performing arts too - a pupil is one of the current leads in the West End production of Billy Elliot.

Read more at www.tatler.com/news/articles/january-2014/the-tatler-guide-to-state-schools---part-two#ka1B77l0F71zb8V5.99]]

When DS was there quite a few of his friends were in the equestrian team. They all have their own stabling of course.

my ds goes and my dds went to an excellent comprehensive (not listed here), we don't live in the catchment but dd was selected on musical ability, she was not picked to do music at primary school so I paid for private lessons and luckily a relative had the instrument needed as we were struggling financially and didn't qualify for hiring an instrument from the counci.

We are somewhere in the middle regarding income. Alot of people whose dc are at these schools are not necessarily affluent. you have to be on very low income for FSM but there are still lots of ordinary people out there too who struggle financially.

Smoke

Hate to say this but a few years ago Manchester was the best place in the country to study SS, I was accepted on the Masters and almost started but then dd decided she wanted to be H.ed and told us of her grand master plan, knowing her chances for a decent education here I had to agree.
It was only for interest with me though, so nothing lost really.
Not sure if it is still up there in terms of reputation but do check it out.

I remember your Social Studies now, and the trapped in Kent.
We should formulate an escape party.
Me and dh alternate the itchy feet for a move but just recently we have both agreed, so if dd passes second audition and goes off to school and with ds1 left now we should be able to downsize and move to Cheshire/Manchester.
Anywhere but the East Lancs area.

Some of the schools on the list are in areas of the country that are incredibly affluent and where poor people have been completely priced out of the housing market (there are huge restrictions on development). There aren't going to many candidates for FSM in their catchments.

'the town that Tesco has the highest market share is Perth with 60% the lowest is Harrogate with just 1% which probably means that Tesco target more socially mixed areas for placement of their stores'

Tesco's don't have a store in Harrogate, but it is certainly not for the want to trying!

talkin what confuses me is that half the posters on the education sections on here are always stating that their local state school offers the same opportunities as independent schools, does this not apply to fencing?
Fencing is not the only 1 to 1 sport there are of course others e.g. tennis and fencing was offered at DS1's state school but it only has 25 out of 1300 on FSM so perhaps that explains it.

yes it made me v cross doctordonaa, the only ones to be offered musical instrument lessons were those who were recommended by their local primary school.
Anyone else or those who had just moved into the area, could stuff orf

The cuts to music education are indeed criminal and short sighted!

interestingly the 'comp' that my children attended in the poorest part of the UK also offered skiing in America as the year 8 trip. I was furious and even thought it might be a way to identify the 'naice' children, in my moments of fury. FGS we are talking about an area where an awful lot of kids do not even have passports.
and yet while this school is the nearest thing to a genuine comp I have come across, not all children are offered the same learning opportunities, quite apart from the expensive trips, for example only a selected handful are offered musical instrument lessons.

Hello Smokepole

Have you considered doing a degree in education, I don't necessarily mean a PGCE, you seem really interested in this stuff and very knowledgable?
You could use one of your thread topics for your dissertation.
I am serious btw, not at all sarcy here. x

Well as you know we have no Waitrose and only a smallish Sainsbury on the outskirts heading towards m6

We do have Morrisons, Tesco, Asda, Lidl and Aldi.
As you know we don't have private or grammar schools and kids here have to make do with what they have.
There are some good state schools but many are/have been failing and I don't know any outstanding, although one that is on one of the lists above was at one time.
Even with this in mind several children make it to Oxbridge each year, but they are usually front page news round here.

I don't know specifics about finances obviously! People were referring to is being full of people with swimming pools etc. It's just not true.