Is anyone wishing they could swap the pass of the 11 plus for a guarenteed place at a nice comp?

In my area of London we have two single sex grammer schools, two catholic secondaries, 2 private secondaries and 2 comprehensives. Middle class parents who are of Catholic persuasion work hard to oversome the hurdles to get their chldren into the catholic schools, those who aren't Catholic scrape together funds for the private schools and the grammers seem to be predominantly made up of extremely high achievers from mainly asian backgrounds.
Anyone left ends up in the local comp.

What's a 'nice' comp? We have a choice of two schools round here - the below average comp or the other below average comp.
DD1 seems to be surviving so far.

A year or so ago it was an OFSTED inspector reviewing a school in Salisbury who pointed out that it was a SECONDARY MODERN he was looking, despite the school's claim to be a comprehensive and thus would not be judging it in the same way as a true Comp, seeing as Salisbury creams off the more academic DCs, albeit via a HOST of private preps, to 2 single gender grammar. It would be fair to say that there are a lot of state parents in the area who don't even 'allow' their DC to take the 11+ on the basis the odds are so heartily stacked against them. And you DO have to ask to be entered for the exam.

Personally it surprises me that the bulk of the Salisbury parents don't rise up against this iniquity in their midst, skewing their DCs education, but perhaps they're so middle class they assume their DC will OF COURSE get into the grammars.

Fwiw, I went to the girls grammar in 1973 but believe me, it's a WHOLE different kettle of fish these days!

idling - you're absolutely correct. If there are still children being creamed off by grammars, then other schools in the vicinity won't be truly comprehensive. This was true of my situation as a kid when I took, and 'passed' the 11 plus and then went to the comp anyway. I don't think I was particularly aware at the time though later it dawned on me that probably most kids at the school hadn't passed the 11 plus!!
Now, as a parent living in an area with an excellent state comp, I can see that there is a real difference from the school I went to. The teaching and results at my kids' comp is excellent and of course there genuinely is the entire range, so a child in top sets will be with very bright children.
Having said that, it never did me any harm - I went on to University, as did my siblings who had 'failed' the 11 plus, which really shows the system up for the load of bollox it is!!

I have just moved away from Bexley and at least a couple of the grammar schools there are mixed. We have moved to an area (Kent) where the only local grammar schools are single sex and that creates a whole load of extra issues. However I didn't feel able to base our family move on a possible 11+ pass in 8 years time. We'll see what happens at that time.

was only thinking re tutor as there doesnt seem to have been anyone at the school who passed who didnt have a tutor. even so, most of them scraped through- between 2&5 over the pass mark. however, half the school has them (its that kind of area )so there are obviously quite a few tutored kids who failed as well.

its the bexley 11 plus we're appealing, and the appeal success rates are really low - 6 successful appeals in 3 years am not sure re the head, she & i don't see eye to eye on many things, and she's quite anti 11 plus, so think we're up against it really.

thanks umm- well done to your dd, btw!

chances of an appeal are pretty slim in our area apparently, but if you dont try you'll never know.......just wish i'd got him a tutor now as seems the only children who passed at his school were those who have been tutored for last year or so.....relying on their primary (which is ofsted outstanding & has excellent sats results) & using the 11+ books at home clearly wasnt enough......ah, hindsight

Could I just point out that in any area with Grammar schools still in existence then any comp is not a true comp as the grammar will have creamed off all the majority of the high achievers. Comprehensives cannot be truly comprehensive with grammars in the vicinity. Neither are they truly comprehensive in areas with faith schools either as they select by the back door.

apologies for double post

my ds failed the 11plus. if we dont get him in on appeal (he only failed by 1 mark) the alternative is a pretty awful comp.

i want my ds to have the chance to go to university, as i did, but i know he will have next to no chance if he goes to the comp.

so we will probably have to move, & i'll have to change job, to a different area with better comps so he has the chance of a half decent education.

i would prefer to have no grammars, and a range of 'good', mixed ability, schools instead - i went to a (fairly rough) comp to 16, and the only issue i had with it was that we weren't put into streams based on ability until we were in year 10, which because all the class had to do the same work, for 3 years meant i was doing stuff that was much too easy for me - conversely other kids in the class were struggling to keep up.

my ds failed the 11plus. if we dont get him in on appeal (he only failed by 1 mark) the alternative is a pretty awful comp.

i want my ds to have the chance to go to university, as i did, but i know he will have next to no chance if he goes to the comp.

so we will probably have to move, & i'll have to change job, to a different area with better comps so he has the chance of a half decent education.

i would prefer to have no grammars, and a range of 'good', mixed ability, schools instead - i went to a (fairly rough) comp to 16, and the only issue i had with it was that we weren't put into streams based on ability until we were in year 10, which because all the class had to do the same work, for 3 years meant i was doing stuff that was much too easy for me - conversely other kids in the class were struggling to keep up.

ooh she passed! well done her umm!

and the comprehensive system is so much better...

Yeap, I would hate to live in an area with grammar schools. The system is flawed, and creates an artificial division. I was brought up in an area where the grammar school system was being phased out. I took the 11 Plus exam and 'passed', my siblings took it and 'failed' and my parents sent us all to a new comp which had just opened up! Interestingly we all went on to University...
It's all so arbitrary apart from anything else. The grammar school will only have room for a certain number of kids, so one year your child might get in, and the next year they wouldn't, depending on what was going on with the birth rate the year they were born.
Stupid, outdated system.

think carefully. grammar schools suit some children perfectly. but can be nightmares for others. even though they passed the exam to get in.

My nice comp has lots of kids who could have gone to the grammars, like me they recognise a fantastic school that offers a broad education.

Never in a million years. I got stuck in a "nice comp" in the 70s and I was relieved that my kids got to go to grammar.

I teach in a fantastic comprehensive and if my dd gets a place I would not be interested in the local grammar or a private option.

Ah that makes sense. Me too.