Justine Greening grubs around for grammar school support after disastrous consultation

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.

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

I think many with very bright DCs would like their DCs to have the type of academic education available at the best private academically selective schools such as Westminster, St Paul's, etc, an education for which exam results are a bye product rather than the target and is much more extensive than the syllabus.
Grammar schools are seen as the next best thing with teachers specialising in teaching bright allrounders who can learn at a fast pace. However most grammar schools are nowhere near achieving the type of education provided at Westminster and similar as it depends on resources and retention of staff who are willing and qualified to direct an HE style approach as well as hold the attention of class of very bright pupils who can easily be disruptive when bored.
At worst grammar schools can be full of lazy teachers who rely on the motivation of pupils and their parents to achieve good exam results.
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.

december10th
I know Trafford work miracles in your opinion (and through many name changes on your part)
BUT
the evidence nationally does not support your viewpoint.

The multiple of anecdote is not evidence.
The evidence was linked up thread.

My children would probably both have passed the 11+ without tutoring
but having been at selective schools till I was 18
I am utterly convinced that they got a better and more rounded education than I did at their Comp

No one denies there can be excellent secondary moderns schools. However some points:

1. Generally speaking secondary modern heads seem to be against selection -surely they are the people who would know?
2. Selection fans tend to accuse the comprehensive fans of cherry picking good comps, which sometimes is fair enough. They therefore can't really pick those top secondary moderns, usually in wealthy areas to "prove" that all secondary moderns will be as good as those few.
3. If we return to selection 80% will at best see no improvement to their education and there is a high chance that it will be worse. There can be no ethical basis for an experiment in education where 80% bear all the risks but any benefits accrue to the other 20%.

the local secondary modern achieves excellent results! Better than the national average.In 2015 I think they had 80% with 5+ GCSEs at A*-C incl englsih & maths

Bertrand My daughter's Head was in the newspaper because the school was singled out by Ofsted for its excellent provision for disadvantaged students. And the Head also took the opportunity to promote comprehensives. So know how you feel.

HPFA- proud to see our head's name on that letter............

I was asked
Why were you prepared for your children to forego 2 A* for the good of society !

(a) There are no grammar schools in my county so its irrelevant
(b) For academic kids, GCSEs are just a stepping stone to A levels and degrees so the difference between A and A* loses relevance
(c) Sacrifice ? Sorry? The fact that they have non academic friends harms nobody

(d) The best way to learn a topic is to explain it to somebody else - both of my kids benefited from mixed ability sets in certain subjects

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/138124?tab=secondary-provisional

//www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/138124?tab=secondary-provisional

Bertrand this is the 'Poorest school in Trafford

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schoo 138124?tab=secondary-provisional

Even Broadoak High school which is in Partington which is in the 'back and beyond' of Trafford recorded 65% GCSE English/Maths despite having 65% FSM over the last six years.

65% is a remarkable result considering the Cohort and the fact that even two years ago the school only achieved 35% GCSE.

This is a letter signed by all the secondary modern Heads in Kent explaining why they believe selection damages children.

www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2016/12/anti-grammar-school-letter-to-theresa-may-from-33-kent-heads

Shouldn't we listen to them?

"Why were you prepared for your children to forego 2 A* for the good of society !"

Because the good of society is more important to me than Russell Minor getting an extra couple of stars.

A question that has always baffled me about Trafford. Where do the low ability children go to school?

Sorry I've just checked and I'm wrong - it was Ashton On Mersey School that wanted to bus out the kids with EHCPs.

Wellington and Ashton on Mersey are not Secondary Modern schools !

What type of school are they then since over 40% of Trafford's pupils are educated in grammar schools.

I know Trafford's education situation is totally unique . However, what i would suggest though is a 'Secondary Modern' school does not have to be type cast as a place that can not educate high fliers.

For your info i believe Manchester Utd send their young footballers to Ashton on Mersey school !

It's a bit ironIc that Dorset is highlighted as one of the counties that wouldn't be affected. Poole Grammar recently nosedived in their last Ofsted which happened as their results weren't good enough. Parents in a neighbouring LEA where the children traditionally go to the Poole Grammars (single sex so two) have been increasingly turning their backs on them and sticking with the local schools.

Just saying that it can be done.

Agree that schools with high % of disinterested pupils likely to impact on school as a whole.

"WHY modern schools fail kids"

Well they don't always.

But it's the case that when schools are socially and academically polarised, the schools which contain the highest proportion of disadvantaged and disengaged children become very hard places in which to teach and learn.

Borders

You cannot just look at the odd school. You have to do it on a national basis

December 10th

...except the actual evidence is against you (both in terms of the 25/75 % grammar/secondary doing worse overall than comprehensive system; and that you cannot designate people "academic" or "non-academic" by exam at 10 years old.

The case for a few supers selectives is better (as they don't seem to have the same impact on neighbouring schools)

It is terribly worrying that evidence is ignored over wishful thinking.

""Modern" schools are demonstrably struggling because of the existence of grammars"
^
Wellington school in Trafford? Competes with grammars and has excellent results. As does Ashton on Mersey School.^