Do you know what a grammar school is?

[chestonher]

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? ' 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

And unless you had been tutored you would be unlikely to pass it.

Yes. We don't have them in our county but DD took the 11+ in the next county. She didn't get in (that would have involved putting some revision effort in) but the school itself was lovely and she genuinely benefitted from the test experience. She was very brave doing it by herself without any friends.

This made me 😂😂

I went to grammar school (Kent!) and I was literally trained to pass the entrance test (that inbetween time in the 90s when it was an entrance test to each grammar rather than 11+).

I'm glad I went but I’m not naturally academic at all. Went to uni even though I probably shouldn’t as I hate studying but somehow I’m doing well career wise so it probably did me ok.

Yes, we're in a grammar school area. But DD2's two best friends at their midlands university had never heard of them. They both come from big northern cities, so I would say it definitely depends on whether they exist where you live or not.

I'm not the person who posted, but having grown up in a grammar school area and raised children in a purely comprehensive area, I feel fortunate to live somewhere without grammar schools. My kids had a less stressful primary school experience, get to go their excellent local secondary school without having to travel a long way where they get an excellent education that is better than mine was at a grammar school, with a wider variety of people and choice of subjects than they would have experienced at either a grammar or a secondary modern, or a "comprehensive" in an area with grammar schools.

At lot of English folks don't know that some parts of the country have Middle Schools.

I went to a middle school in London (think they are a great idea) & hardly anyone has heard of them if I mentioned. Know about grammars.

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.

Completely normal to travel this distance for secondary in London & Im sure many other places.

But does anyone know if you can take the 11+ and apply for grammar school if there isn't one in catchment?

depends on the school, many don't have catchments.

I went to a grammar school in Kent, only free school meals kid in the year and one of very few who weren't tutored for it. Many came from private prep school. It was a remarkable opportunity and definitely benefitted me personally but was tough socially at times.

My town has 3 grammars and 3 secondaries/academies, the next town along is the same. Historically the standard secondaries weren't great (downright rough when my uncles & siblings attended) but because so many "naice" families move here from London and not all their kids can get grammar places and lots of "locals" have been pushed out by housing costs in the last 2 decades, the standard secondary schools have been somewhat gentrified and are now quite sought after in their own right, apparently.

People come from over the county border to the grammars but I think they have to get higher marks. DH grew up near Southend in a non grammar area and people from his area travel(led) into Southend to go to grammar school also.

I think the idea that academies are all rubbish schools which was referred to earlier comes from the fact that 20 odd years ago failing schools were often renamed as academies and given "superheads" to improve them. Now lots of schools are academies that is no longer true - even my son's excellent new state primary is part of an academy group.

My son is only 7 but will probably sit the 11+ as he is quite academic. We don't really believe in the manic tutoring though so will probably work with him ourselves and see how he does. I'd rather he excelled at a normal secondary than struggled at grammar as I know the pressure.

🤣🤣🤣

I'd assume they just haven't lived in an area that has grammar schools. I'm not sure what having a professional well paid job has to do with it ! Either you've lived in an area where 11+ is available or not.

To be honest, I thought from the limited threads about grammar schools that I've clicked into on here, that they were private/fee paying schools. I had no idea that the intention of them was to bring the more academic children who came from poverty into academic schools. That's an admirable idea.

It's only an admirable idea though if there are similar opportunities for children who are more technically gifted or similar.
Academia is not the only measure of success. I've loads of friends from secondary school who were not academically minded but they are millionaires now (while I remain I gobshite). Things like mechanics, plumbers, electricians etc. There's an unusual focus on academia in society while the most successful people (or richest) took the road less travelled. They were possibly crap at Maths and English but could craft a piece of workmanship worthy of applause!