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11+ at private schools same as entrance exam for grammar schools?

153 replies

maggie3kids · 15/10/2023 14:15

Applying to primary schools with the intention of grammar secondary. Our main motivation for choosing an independent(private) primary school is that they do the 11+ exam. Apparently this is wrong because each grammar school has their own 11+ exam so whatever they do at primary doesn’t matter.

Can anybody shed some light on this please as it is going to impact us a lot more financially so I want to make sure private school will (help to) solidify entry into a grammar i.e. reduce need for tutoring and examination stress. Thank you!

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HotCrossBunplease · 23/08/2024 16:24

Surely actual “expat Indians” are pretty few and far between and would not be statistically significant.

If British Indian families are sending kids to University in India then the “back to India” phraseology is pretty distasteful..

crazycrofter · 23/08/2024 16:20

I’ve never heard of that either @ozanj in the two midlands grammars and one independent my kids have been at.

Ozanj · 23/08/2024 13:26

Jellycats4life · 23/08/2024 13:14

Do they? I’ve never heard of that before. Why would Indian families choose the Indian equivalent of sixth form instead of carrying on at a UK grammar?

Because good Indian Universities are cheaper but have a much more difficult to get into as you often need over 98%.

Jellycats4life · 23/08/2024 13:14

Ozanj · 23/08/2024 11:48

A Level is often when grammar schools with lots of Indian kids become more diverse - as expat parents often send their kids back to India at that point.

Edited

Do they? I’ve never heard of that before. Why would Indian families choose the Indian equivalent of sixth form instead of carrying on at a UK grammar?

TizerorFizz · 23/08/2024 11:51

Not here. Everyone lives here and they are British. They don’t go anywhere.

Ozanj · 23/08/2024 11:48

A Level is often when grammar schools with lots of Indian kids become more diverse - as expat parents often send their kids back to India at that point.

Edinb · 23/08/2024 09:46

Araminta1003 · 23/08/2024 08:58

I agree that when looking at results, people need to look very carefully at GCSEs, progress and then A level and try and understand who joins at A level, how many are kept on etc. and how much bigger the intake gets or contracts.

If you think 11 plus is stressful, what about the poor kids who are in so called sought after comps who then only keep a fraction of those kids on at A level, preferring very much to cream off the top GCSE external candidates from all over and then dine out on their success in the A level league tables?

There are a few key differences for selection for 11+ and selection entry for sixth-form. The 11-plus exam is taken by younger children, whose development can vary widely. Preparation often requires tutoring driven by parent and family not the studnet itself.

Sixth-form selection offers more choices and is less stressful as students are older and more involved.

And a lot of grammar schools sixth-form has very strict criteria for their intake and A level course selection too, one would argue they are more evil because they effectively select twice, cream off the top and cream off again at 16.

TizerorFizz · 23/08/2024 09:08

The grammars have the pupil funding that’s the same as other secondaries. They would not get as much PP or Sen money. As you would expect.

Araminta1003 · 23/08/2024 08:58

I agree that when looking at results, people need to look very carefully at GCSEs, progress and then A level and try and understand who joins at A level, how many are kept on etc. and how much bigger the intake gets or contracts.

If you think 11 plus is stressful, what about the poor kids who are in so called sought after comps who then only keep a fraction of those kids on at A level, preferring very much to cream off the top GCSE external candidates from all over and then dine out on their success in the A level league tables?

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 22:11

@Edinb It is usually not good enough fpr some localities in terms of academics because the grammar schools most often have less funding per pupil and for the same reason the facilities are leaving much to demand.

Edinb · 22/08/2024 21:12

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 21:04

This creates a strong stigma among certain groups of families.
@Edinb what stigma? What do you mean by that.🤯
I would say that grammar schools have various stigmas around. E.g.Snobbish race for top of the top of grammar schools as well as a perception that it school for kids of South Asian immigrants hothousing their offspring, and many more.

Btw above we were discussing top 100 state schools and in that top not all are grammar schools .There are quite a few comprehensive schools almost as good as Brampton Manor comprehensive.

I agree your definition of stigma, a good comprehensive school, like top 100 in the league table is not good enough for some, giving similar funding, shorter commute, better facilities and etc.

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 21:04

This creates a strong stigma among certain groups of families.
@Edinb what stigma? What do you mean by that.🤯
I would say that grammar schools have various stigmas around. E.g.Snobbish race for top of the top of grammar schools as well as a perception that it school for kids of South Asian immigrants hothousing their offspring, and many more.

Btw above we were discussing top 100 state schools and in that top not all are grammar schools .There are quite a few comprehensive schools almost as good as Brampton Manor comprehensive.

Edinb · 22/08/2024 21:02

user149799568 · 22/08/2024 21:00

I'd love to know how many of the 50 are from the students they educated since Year 7 and how many are from the ones they selected at 16+.

One thing for sure is many of them were educated at nonselective comprehensive before 16

user149799568 · 22/08/2024 21:00

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 20:55

@user149799568 but I bet they are swxond with 50 Oxbridge places

I'd love to know how many of the 50 are from the students they educated since Year 7 and how many are from the ones they selected at 16+.

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 20:55

@user149799568 but I bet they are swxond with 50 Oxbridge places

Edinb · 22/08/2024 20:52

user149799568 · 22/08/2024 20:29

True, but it's not as though Brampton Manor Academy's Oxbridge results really reflect a fully non-selective school. They are non-selective at 11+, but fewer than half their GCSE students are allowed to remain for sixth form. More than half their sixth form students are academically selected from external candidates at 16+. This is not true at Queen Elizabeth's Barnet or Henrietta Barnett.

Edited

Many sixth form colleges academically select external candidates at 16+, mostly based on GCSE results. The majority of these candidates come from comprehensive state schools. I would argue that they have the same or even higher chances of getting into Oxbridge, given the ultimate selection ratio.

Edinb · 22/08/2024 20:47

Araminta1003 · 22/08/2024 20:44

“Circling around to the funding issue again, some grammar schools, such as Queen Elizabeth's in Barnet manage to raise a significant amount of donations from these very supportive parents.

That raises about 500 pounds per student per year, OK is this subject to VAT?”

@Edinb - is the VAT reference meant to be some sort of a joke?
Donations to state school PTAs are subject to gift aid as most PTAs are charities, but PTAs can only spend on certain things. So an additional rate tax payer can claim more of it back from HMRC and often there is match funding too from employers. To get to an overall figure of £500 you don’t need to give a full £500 (PTAs with charitable status can claim back too).

Not a joke, maybe private school can borrow the same model to make the PTA like charity which is outside the school itself to get VAT exemption..

Araminta1003 · 22/08/2024 20:44

“Circling around to the funding issue again, some grammar schools, such as Queen Elizabeth's in Barnet manage to raise a significant amount of donations from these very supportive parents.

That raises about 500 pounds per student per year, OK is this subject to VAT?”

@Edinb - is the VAT reference meant to be some sort of a joke?
Donations to state school PTAs are subject to gift aid as most PTAs are charities, but PTAs can only spend on certain things. So an additional rate tax payer can claim more of it back from HMRC and often there is match funding too from employers. To get to an overall figure of £500 you don’t need to give a full £500 (PTAs with charitable status can claim back too).

justasmalltownmum · 22/08/2024 20:39

If your private school also has a secondary, then they will not prep for grammar as they assume your child will be staying on at their school.

user149799568 · 22/08/2024 20:29

Edinb · 22/08/2024 20:09

Given that there are over 30 boys competing for each place, many schools, if they choose to be highly selective, could secure a number of Oxbridge places to beat the odds.

True, but it's not as though Brampton Manor Academy's Oxbridge results really reflect a fully non-selective school. They are non-selective at 11+, but fewer than half their GCSE students are allowed to remain for sixth form. More than half their sixth form students are academically selected from external candidates at 16+. This is not true at Queen Elizabeth's Barnet or Henrietta Barnett.

Edinb · 22/08/2024 20:09

user149799568 · 22/08/2024 20:03

@PeachSalad

in top 100 state schools sith best results are not only grammar schools but also SE London comprehensive schools like Brampton Manor that sends to Oxbridge more kids more than any grammar?

Not this year. Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet has more Oxbridge places. With only half the number of students.

Given that there are over 30 boys competing for each place, many schools, if they choose to be highly selective, could secure a number of Oxbridge places to beat the odds.

Edinb · 22/08/2024 20:07

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 19:49

I think you meant:
That's not true for many of these students. @user149799568 ?
That would make sense.

That's not true for all of these students, as you written sounds as if they had never an option of an outstanding comprehensive with top academics, which is not true on many cases. Some are. E.g in my borough we have few of those but some kids decide to commute 1h to grammar school.

I believe that even a good comprehensive school in London is not ‘good’ enough because the presence of super-selective grammar schools ensures that any non-selective school will rank lower in the league tables. This creates a strong stigma among certain groups of families.

user149799568 · 22/08/2024 20:06

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 19:49

I think you meant:
That's not true for many of these students. @user149799568 ?
That would make sense.

That's not true for all of these students, as you written sounds as if they had never an option of an outstanding comprehensive with top academics, which is not true on many cases. Some are. E.g in my borough we have few of those but some kids decide to commute 1h to grammar school.

Fair enough. Where I come from, "that is not true for all" is usually interpreted literally, as the negation of "that is true for all". I meant to say that not all students have the alternative of a good comprehensive school if they can't get a place at a superselective.

user149799568 · 22/08/2024 20:03

@PeachSalad

in top 100 state schools sith best results are not only grammar schools but also SE London comprehensive schools like Brampton Manor that sends to Oxbridge more kids more than any grammar?

Not this year. Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet has more Oxbridge places. With only half the number of students.

PeachSalad · 22/08/2024 19:49

I think you meant:
That's not true for many of these students. @user149799568 ?
That would make sense.

That's not true for all of these students, as you written sounds as if they had never an option of an outstanding comprehensive with top academics, which is not true on many cases. Some are. E.g in my borough we have few of those but some kids decide to commute 1h to grammar school.