Justine Greening grubs around for grammar school support after disastrous consultation

Actually, 4 of the 5 posters whose schools I know have posted the name of their schools on other threads - I cannot 'unlearn' something I've read especially if I've clicked on a thread because my nieces/nephews/close friends' dc attend private/state schools in the same towns and those towns are of interest to me. You are being disingenuous Noble - it was you who asked for one of my posts to be deleted because you thought I had given too much identifying info about another poster. No, I don't have a spreadsheet - easy to look at the Progress 8 scores of 3 schools in one town.

Clavinova I do not think that access to Latin (particularly when poorly taught) or IGCSE maths are sufficient reasons to justify a grammar school system. I am not being elitist just saying that if grammar schools are providing the same teaching as many comprehensives do for their top sets why have a whole separate system.

"But 2 of the 3 comprehensives in your town ......."

Blimey, I thought I was obsessed!

HPFA My daughter's head .... took the opportunity to promote comprehensives
But 2 of the 3 comprehensives in your town have below average Progress 8 scores (bottom 30%) and the gap between the disadvantaged and others is 30% plus - almost 40% in one measure.

sendsummer You are being too elitist - dcs' prep sends pupils to 9 of the top 50 independent secondary schools (A levels 2016) and I know quite a few children at the superselective grammars (not necessarily from the prep) but none at Westminster or St.Pauls.

Someone mentioned Latin and further maths upthread - presumably both are taught at most grammar schools but I cannot imagine that even 20% of comprehensive schools offer Latin and less than 50% further maths? Also German, EBaac pass rate?

Here's what one Labour councillor in Derbyshire thinks of Latin for her county's high achievers;
schoolsweek.co.uk/academic-calls-for-return-of-the-classics-in-all-schools/
Not for the likes of us!

The grammar schools I know were until recently teaching IGCSE maths with its extended content and flexibility to go beyond the syllabus with additional maths - likewise the sciences; exam results after the introduction of the new GCSEs will be interesting.

" actually don't believe secondary modern schools exist. I think the poor achieving non selective schools are just bad schools."

7% high ability kids at our school.

noble Well Ofsted thinks the most able students should be doing better;
www.gov.uk/government/publications/are-the-most-able-students-doing-as-well-as-they-should-in-our-secondary-schools

You teach in a comprehensive school - roughly how many of your school's pupils achieve 6+ A*s every year compared to other schools in your area?

If there are kids at the 'modern' getting strings of A*s and triple science then one wonders what the point of grammars and the 11+ is.
Noblegiraffe similar point to mine from up thread.
I therefore think that all these discussions of the benefits or rights of selective education are not really relevant to the majority as most grammar schools will not be providing anything different teaching style or content to standard comprehensives.

I actually don't believe secondary modern schools exist. I think the poor achieving non selective schools are just bad schools.

I think the Headteachers letter from Kent is looking for something to hide behind , because they are not able to improve standards.

Equally though, one might wonder why there are hundreds of comprehensive schools where only a handful of students get a string of A*s.

Quite, noblegiraffe.

Unless the sort of children getting strings of A* in the secondary modern are not the sort of children the grammar school parents want their children associating with............

Bertrand If you want to move there from other parts of Manchester isn't not impossible to do it and the transportation links into other parts of Manchester are good. Just because you are low income doesn't mean you can't move and doesn't mean the parents don't want more for their D.C.

I've asked my friend who is a teacher in Trafford why the schools are doing so well. What she said was that you find is that a lot of those families who get FSMs in Trafford are immigrant families mainly from EE and Indian Subcontinent. There is also a sizable number of divorced mothers raising their children. They qualify for FSMs because maintenance doesn't count when qualifying for benefits. Then there are those who just want better for their DC so make the move even though they are low income.

Broadoak school is proud to report on a record breaking year for examination results in 2016. 65% of pupils achieved the headline measure of a C grade or above in both English and mathematics. This is unprecedented success for the school, with the previous record for this measure standing at 53% in 2012.

71% of pupils achieved a C grade or above in maths which is also school record. 69% of pupils achieved a C grade or above in English language and 64% achieved a C or above in English literature. Almost a third of pupils secured a B grade or above in English language. This success reveals the commitment and focus Broadoak School has in driving standards in these all important core subjects.

Equally important is the success of Science. A cohort of triple scientists achieved highly in all 3 subjects with 1 pupil achieving A* grades in Chemistry and Physics and a grade A in Biology. 100% of this cohort achieved C grades or above in all 3 sciences.

The breadth of the curriculum means pupils study a suite of other qualifications (including vocational qualifications) which have also had excellent outcomes. Courses in Digital Applications, Construction, Performing Arts and Motor Vehicle all had 100% pass rate. Meanwhile, Business Studies, Art, Health and Social Care and Sport all ensured that more than 80% of pupils that undertook the courses achieved the all-important pass as a minimum.

Headteacher Lee McConaghie said “These examination results are just reward for the young people who have worked so hard for five years at Broadoak. We are all very proud of their record breaking achievements.”

In terms of individual success the highest achiever was Emily Edwards (Head girl) who accumulated 7A* grades (including English and maths) and 3 A grades. Individual accomplishments such as these confirm the school’s belief that pupils who attend Broadoak can succeed at the very highest level and can compete with pupils regionally and nationally.

Chief Executive of The Dean Trust, Tarun Kapur CBE said “These examination results and the year on year improvements at both of the Dean Trust schools in Trafford demonstrate that these schools ensure pupils achieve their very best .”

Despite a changing curriculum landscape these examination results are testament to the tireless work of the staff and the pupils. The school looks forward to maintaining this success in 2017.

This is important to read because is shows a school located in a area of relative difficulty in a fully selective area gaining 65% GCSE English/Maths.

And almost quite remarkably offering 'triple science'.

So what does Trafford do that other LEAs don't?

It surrounds itself entirely by other nonselective LEAs and makes its grammar school places available to brainy children in those LEAs - unlike Kent which mainly surrounds itself with sea! For southerners to understand, Trafford's position is very similar to that of Sutton.

And all these people whose children are on FSM being in a position to move for the sake of their children's education........

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partington

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partington

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partington

ThIs is where Broadoak school is if any school corresponds to what the term 'Secondary Modern' is perceived than Broadoak High school has then covered.

Does this look like the type of town where all the parents are invested in to education !

"Trafford is unique in that people move there because they care about their child having an education. 65% of kids might be in receipt of FSMs but the parents want their D.C. to be educated."

Sorry- that makes absolutely no sense at all.