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Original poster

Should we take DS out of grammar school?

246 replies

dobedo · 02/01/2015 18:15

Our DS started at a grammar school in Sep 14 and is in yr7. He was very close to passing the 11+ exam and got in on appeal. DS went to a state primary up to the end of yr4 when we decided to move him to a local prep for the last 2 years as the state primary had really gone downhill due to a new head. When at primary school he hated maths as the school didn't teach it well however at his prep school he came on so much and enjoyed learning again.

Basically we thought that by putting DS back in the state system into a grammar school would be fine and a great idea as it wouldn't cost us anything and he would be getting a good education.

However, since being there for 1 term his confidence has gone down, he moans that children just talk in the classes all the time and he can't hear everything and that the other children aren't interested in learning. Also, especially in maths the teacher never gets to him when he puts his hand up for help in a lesson and when everyone is talking he gets confused.

There is an independent school in the area that gets fairly good grades but not as good as the grammar school obviously, however, he would be back in classes of 20 rather than 30 and get more attention and help from the teachers.

Would you remove your child from a grammar school to put them back into the independent sector for the additional help and attention? I'm so confused, I never thought we would consider taking our DS out the grammar school.

OP posts:
Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 20:47

You said you wanted the surrounded by peers of a similar ability, that was what I disagreed with. I want my children taught alongside children of a similar ability I do not really care about who they spend break and lunchtime with.

Hakluyt · 10/01/2015 20:45

Are we just over riding the OP by the way? I am not really happy with the thread hijack that seems to be happening.........

Hakluyt · 10/01/2015 20:43

Grammar schools do tend to have excellent sports teams too- because they cream off all the middle class/privileged children who go to out of school sports clubs. The same applies to music, drama and all other extra curricular activities too. It is just ......not a good thing.

Lizzylou · 10/01/2015 20:43

Where I work we set for humanities, maths, science and english, you are therefore with same cohort for DT/PE etc due to timetables.
This a Comp, lots of excellent teaching, behaviour not an issue, good exam results despite EAL being over 70%, lovely kids. Academic success is very much lauded.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 20:43

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PancakesAndMapleSyrup · 10/01/2015 20:40

Op is there only 1 indy that he could attend if needed or would he be able to go to another? Lots oschool buses. Which ones are you looking at in particular mabye someone could give you an insight into the schoolyoj are looking at in needed?

Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 20:37

Smokepole our local grammars have very good sports teams, I suspect because they are filled with children whose parents can afford lots of Ezra curricular activities.

Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 20:35

It is set in blocks, so Humanities together, creative together etc, fairly standard practice

I am free to teach having taught in a range of schools I have never down crowd control and never really see it , another one of those things you hear about on MN. ( I may have had some disruption in my very early days because I was a bit crap and not because I was teaching in some kind of feel environment) My children's lessons are not disrupted ( I would know and I would kick up a huge fuss if it happened).

I allow my children to have friends without checking their ability, I am surprises that is seen as a bit out there!

ItsAllKickingOffPru · 10/01/2015 20:35

Why would you want that, smokepole? That's a horrid bullying attitude Sad

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 20:32

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smokepole · 10/01/2015 20:30

It would be good to set PE , we could see the "Swots" and brain boxes in the bottom sets for once !

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 20:29

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Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 20:28

I assume that if your child was not very bright that you would be equally happy with them only mixing with other not very bright or average children.

Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 20:21

Sorry PE is not set,although they often split them down once in lessons as there are lots of lessons going on at once.

Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 20:20

Those are all set, although I am sure that they could cope with bashing away on a keyboard next to someone who is working at a level 3 in English.

I genuinely do not understand why being with people who are of a different ability to you is such a bad environment.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 20:17

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Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 20:13

It depends on the school, I have taught in a few and have come across very little mixed ability teaching.

My children seemed to have coped with eating their lunch with less bright children.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 19:58

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Philoslothy · 10/01/2015 19:56

IME, depending in the subject it would go from working towards national curriculum levels up to exceptional performance , with very few being either end which is why most comprehensives set.

Hakluyt · 10/01/2015 19:39

"In a comp the mixed ability would be something more like Levels 3-7, in the ability range, wouldn't it?"

No- because most comprehensives set.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 19:21

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Hakluyt · 10/01/2015 18:53

"It was explained to us that because the whole school is essentially the top set, there's no need to further stream them for subjects (apart from maths)."

So mixed ability teaching is fine so long as it's the 5-7 ability range, but not if it's 3-5?

Michaelahpurple · 10/01/2015 18:28

My DS's school (a selective London prep school) also only sets for maths in year 7 and I have been rather surprised that they don't do it for MFL, as the standard at French seems to vary far more widely, especially with the cadre of native speakers lolling around getting 98% on everything, whilst strugglers are flailing in the 40s. At least maths is taught in a language all can understand - if you are bad at french I think learning in a lesson taught in French must be nigh on impossible.
I know some don't approve of setting but as long as the children don't get too upset about it , presumably it reduces friction at the outlying bits of the class range.

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 18:19

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LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 10/01/2015 18:16

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