"school snobbery"

[dinkybinky]

I think it?s hysterical that some people think that if you child doesn?t attend a Grammar school or selective independent then they?re not academic. The level of ?school snobbery? that goes on is quite bewildering sometimes.

And lots of comps do different things with sets for different sorts of subjects and in different years (not always streaming, that's a different system).

The beauty of a big school is that there are different offers later on for different children, so you can mix GSCEs with a BTEC or two, or just do the very "academic" GCSEs. But still be aware that you can change, move, or stay friends with those you like who are of differing abilities. You can get motivated later and realise you need to get with the programme as you mature.

There are "geeks" and "non-geeks" etc across the school. There are also quieter children and more noisy ones across the board, and not all those with a less motivated parental background are in the same class/set, so diluting most of them and making the best of every child in the educational system.

seeker really???

To defend seeker if GS exist, that's where you have to try for if you accept that they provide better facilities, opportunities, better teachers for a "selected" group. I don't know Kent so am believing what posters say about GS.

If GS didn't exist in her area then the comps would have these?

Yep. I have q child qs q grammar school- I was arrogant enough to think everyone on mumsnet kne that- i'v tqlke about it often enough.

She is at a grammar school because we live in an area with no comprhensive schools.

There is movement between Grammar and non-Grammar schools here.

You know a solution to this would be to bring Grammar Schools back to all towns. There is obviously a need as so many are over subscribed.
That would balance things out a bit. Then at various points retest at so that there could be flow between selective and non-selective schools based on ability. The late developers wouldn't miss out and that would be fair.

Those drifting and not getting what they should out of their Grammar school place could be given a school placement that meets their needs appropriate to their development.

Sorry seeker are you in England? Just wondering what happens if you do not pass your 11+ where do the children in your area go?

You can't tutor your own child if you only got 3 GCSE's yourself and think you are rubbish at all that school business. And as for 'you can get the past papers on the internet', if it's that easy to self-tutor, why do all these parents opt for private tutoring? Because they're all lazy? Ha!

You'll get the odd amazing star who teaches himself grade 8 violin and gets a scholarship to Eton but lives on a council estate and has parents who don't give a shit about education. But mostly, if you come from a deprived background, either materially and culturally, there you will stay. Which is why we acquired a comprehensive system in the first place. I find it incredible that we are even having this debate in 2012.

No movement here. Test at 10, that's it.

No, the solution would be proper comprehensive schools.

"Sorry seeker are you in England? Just wondering what happens if you do not pass your 11+ where do the children in your area go?"

You go to thenhigh school with the rest of the 77% who oidn't make the cut.

GS oversubscribed because the secondary moderns are necessarily filled with a higher proportion of "non-pushy" parents and that would be well known. If there were no GS that wouldn't happen. Flight to independents perhaps but not all can "scrimp and save" to go there, so the real comps would become more desirable and better...

Even in grammar schools you get setting and you get a range of ability and all the other shit that goes with it.

Amazeballs.

And XENIA, in fact your kind of basic Darwinism is arrant nonsense. If it held true, kids would still be up chimneys and down mines, but the fact is that most people do want a fairer and more altruistic society. Hence the Bevan Report and creation of the Welfare State and free education for all in the first place.

Which wasn't good enough for your child?

And interestingly, at my dc's grammar school they are hated by the kids at private schools, who are at the local private schools because they didn't get into the grammar.

Don't understand.

^ seeker your opinions are really odd considering you elected to send your child to grammar school and for her to therefore sit the 11+.

There are no comprhensive schools where I live. So I have no choice but to use the selective system. My dd is in the "top" 23%. so obviously she would go to the grammar school. If I had the opportunity for her to go to a comprehensive school, she would have gone to to one.

Actually libe there was far more social mobility when there was more Grammar schools.

You need to check your facts.

Grammar schools offer past papers and open days for free. WHSmith sells packs very cheaply that anyone can access -as do other companies online with booklets that have guidance for parents. Other booklets are available which break down the questions into bite size pieces so the child can access it on their own.

It is not hard to help your child familiarise themselves with the nature of the questions but like I said before if they haven't got the raw ability they are not going to pass.

WRR read what I said re seeker choices, there are no comps where she lives.

Thewave i asked what happens to those that do not pass? Are there no secondary schools at all? What is wrong with the high school that seekers child would have attended if not passed 11+.

I am curious as to why this wasn't option for seeker when they appear to be against selective education?

Actually you do and have had a choice seeker. She could have been top stream in the non-selective school.

I think you are a hypocrite actually.

It is not hard to help your child familiarise themselves with the nature of the questions but like I said before if they haven't got the raw ability they are not going to pass.

But some do pass and are tutored all through school just to keep up. They might scrape descent results for GCSE and A levels but once they go to Uni they crumble in the first term without the help of Mummy and Daddy.

This is why choosing the right school for the child is so important.

Or he

Queenie, I don't know where you live, but certainly everything you'v said about grammar schools doesn't apply to the ones where I live.

And tutoring your on child requires a higher level of academic ability, education, leisur Tim, confidence qnd moony than many people possess.

Which is born out by th socio- economic make up of most grammar schools. Just have a look at the %age of FSM compared to the nearest high school or comprehensive if you want proof!

Why am I a hypocrite? The high school is not geared up to cater for my child because the set in which she belongs is not there- it is in a different school.