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Original poster

Do you know what a grammar school is?

185 replies

chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:09

Seems a silly question but here me out

DH didn't know. Not really, some vague idea but that was it.

My SIL didn't have a clue, I asked her out of interest in passing about any local ones. She said 'what's that? Confused' a friend of hers was there at the time and agreed she didn't know either that such a thing existed - that you could take a test to her into a school you don't pay for with fees.

None of them knew what the 11+ is.

So that's 3 people.

They are all from and live in Bedfordshire. I am from somewhere else in the South East - and where I'm from, if you're bright, you take the 11+.

These aren't people without anything about them either, my H has a professional job. The other two people are fairly well paid

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 21/09/2022 11:12

I do yes but there are none in our large town and quite a few parents with kids at DDs Primary had no idea they could apply or what the process was.
I think people in an “non Grammar” area might not really understand what they are.

SpinningFloppa · 21/09/2022 11:13

Yes my nephew went to one.

Melonymelony · 21/09/2022 11:13

I do, but lots of areas don’t have Grammar Schools so makes sense lots of people wouldn’t?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
Highamite · 21/09/2022 11:14

Yes but I live in Kent where your kids are tutored for the 11+ in utero

Chocolatepringles · 21/09/2022 11:15

My husband went to one. Before I met him I had vaguely heard of them but didn't know what they were. I still don't. Do they still exist?

Pinkywoo · 21/09/2022 11:15

I knew because my parents both went to them (in different areas) but as there aren't any where I grew up (Norfolk) I assumed they were a thing of the 60's/70's.

TheDogAndTrumpet · 21/09/2022 11:15

Yes, I went to one. But that was in NI where it was really unusual NOT to take the 11+. It was the standard system in the nineties.

Needmorelego · 21/09/2022 11:16

Most of England (and I think Wales) don't have Grammar Schools and haven't for over 50 years. If you have only ever lived in that area then why would you have heard of them?

Original poster
chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:16

Interesting.

My daughter is far too young yet! But does anyone know if you can take the 11+ and apply for grammar school if there isn't one in catchment?

Closest is 45/50 mins away

I don't even know if I'd encourage her to do it but wondered if it's at least an option?

OP posts:
autienotnaughty · 21/09/2022 11:16

I've heard of them but don't really know the difference?

sheepdogdelight · 21/09/2022 11:16

There aren't any grammar schools in Bedfordshire.
There are where you live.

Makes sense that you will know about them, and the others don't.

Original poster
chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:17

sheepdogdelight · 21/09/2022 11:16

There aren't any grammar schools in Bedfordshire.
There are where you live.

Makes sense that you will know about them, and the others don't.

There aren't any where I'm from locally, you'd have to travel to them a fair bit. But a lot of the local primary schools still encouraged 11+

OP posts:
sheepdogdelight · 21/09/2022 11:18

chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:16

Interesting.

My daughter is far too young yet! But does anyone know if you can take the 11+ and apply for grammar school if there isn't one in catchment?

Closest is 45/50 mins away

I don't even know if I'd encourage her to do it but wondered if it's at least an option?

Look at the admissions guidance. Some grammar schools take from anywhere based on 11+ results; some prioritise by distance (and then you'd need to understand if you lived within the right area).

I personally wouldn't send a child to a school 45/50 minutes away (is that at rush hour?) but that's up to you.

Needmorelego · 21/09/2022 11:18

@chestonher infact doesn't Bedfordshire still have the 3 tier Lower/Middle/Upper school system which is completely different to most of England.
At lot of English folks don't know that some parts of the country have Middle Schools.

BarkylLoner · 21/09/2022 11:19

Depends where you live.

In Scotland there are only comprehensive schools.
However some schools have Grammar in their name but it is historical. So wouldn't expect someone to know "what a grammar school is "as it's just a comprehensive school the same as the High school down the road

Cognacsoft · 21/09/2022 11:19

Both dh and I took the 11+ (and passed).
My dc went to a comprehensive which kept the original grammar school title, a work colleague whose dc went to another comprehensive was very annoyed that my dc could write grammar school on their university application and cv.
She obviously thought it made a difference.

sheepdogdelight · 21/09/2022 11:20

chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:17

There aren't any where I'm from locally, you'd have to travel to them a fair bit. But a lot of the local primary schools still encouraged 11+

Show quote history

You're splitting hairs. You know about them because they are talked about locally. (Though I didn't think primary schools were meant to encourage the 11+ especially if out of area).

TraceyGerbil · 21/09/2022 11:20

@chestonher when we lived near Milton Keynes some of the kids went to Royal Latin and other grammar schools in Bucks, which were definitely out of catchment and a 45-50 minute journey each way.

Original poster
chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:20

@Needmorelego it's recently been phased out. So my daughter will just go to primary school and then secondary

My in laws and husband though, are from an area in Bedfordshire (Luton) where they just have primary and then 'high school'

I find it a bit odd that they all call it high school. I want to scream it's senior/secondary school!

OP posts:
ZooMount · 21/09/2022 11:20

chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:16

Interesting.

My daughter is far too young yet! But does anyone know if you can take the 11+ and apply for grammar school if there isn't one in catchment?

Closest is 45/50 mins away

I don't even know if I'd encourage her to do it but wondered if it's at least an option?

It depends where you are. Some take purely on score and kids are shipped in for all over the place but some are catchment first and then distance.

TokyoSushi · 21/09/2022 11:21

Yes, I went to one. DH less so as they don't have them here.

TooMuchBureaucracy · 21/09/2022 11:22

Yes because DM was bitter her whole life she didn't pass the test. She passed it 2 years later and went to the grammar then.

DS goes to grammar. Birmingham still has grammars and they are very competitive. Quite normal to do the 11+ here.

Personally I think 45/50 mins is a long way to travel to school. Plenty do it here but if that had been our only option DS would have gone to the local comprehensive.

PuddlesOnFire · 21/09/2022 11:23

I went to a couple after passing my eleven plus (I didn't even know the exam was coming up, never mind what it was at the time). One of the schools was great, the other was poor. I would look at the OFSTED reports for the schools around you rather than their names. My own experience was that those who went to the "normal" school did better than I did and were happier as they had friends locally to play with unlike myself who had to travel to the "better" school.

horrificbiology · 21/09/2022 11:24

chestonher · 21/09/2022 11:16

Interesting.

My daughter is far too young yet! But does anyone know if you can take the 11+ and apply for grammar school if there isn't one in catchment?

Closest is 45/50 mins away

I don't even know if I'd encourage her to do it but wondered if it's at least an option?

Check the grammar schools entry policy. They may take out of borough if in the top x amount of kids.

Needmorelego · 21/09/2022 11:24

@chestonher High School/Senior School/Secondary School means all the same thing surely?
To be honest most (secondary) schools these days are called Something Academy.