to think Mr Gove and his wife

[taratamara]

.. should send their child to a normal as in not ultra-hard-to-get-into-i.e-selective-but -free state school before they start preaching to other people about how terrible private schools are

[taratamara]

I agree that it's Mrs G's comments which really got my back up - obviously Blair, Clegg & others have done the 'state school' thing - all getting in very fairly no doubt, but at least they didn't then start slagging off private school pupils, bit rich coming from a Tory anyway IMO

[taratamara]

Ah thank God for that bigtilly - quite literally in fact

[paulapantsdown]

I didn't realise until just now that Gove was married and had children - I'm struggling to comprehend that someone had sex with him, several times.

[annabelcaramel]

She has made a career out of the phrase 'smokey eye'. How strange life is.

[taratamara]

[meditrina]

"Why not Pimlico indeed DanjoDays. I believe the Labour politician Jack Straw sent his children there."

Which must mean he swerved several schools to pick that one. From his address (street identifiable at time of an arrest in his family) his nearest school was the (about then 2nd lowest performing in all London) Lillian Bayliss. Same hypocrisy all round?

[Fusedog]

Op I think your post is a bit shit the twat that is the labour education minster is not just sending his kids to private school he's sending them to boarding school funny you missed that op



I wonder how many labour MPs children go to normal comps

[AgaPanthers]

DangoDays there are 1050 applicants for 151 places.

108 of the places are allocated on the basis of how many points the parent and child score in a religious piety test. 15 more are allocated on language aptitude, which is a test that is an extremely effective proxy for an IQ test (which as a supposed comprehensive, they aren't allowed to use ).

The last 28 places are reserved for girls at three named primary schools, two of which are religiously selective.

Since the selection is done on the basis of a clergy reference, if Mr. Gove got a friendly vicar to write him a reference scoring max points, then he would be very confident of his daughter getting in.

Conversely if he had no such reference, unless she was at a feeder school, she had no chance at all of getting in.

[PrincessScrumpy]

I believe his kids are at a state boarding school not single sex if it's the one I was told. Which are you all referring to? Must have missed it becoming public knowledge.

[diabolo]

It's total hypocrisy.

At least say "well you know, we had the chance to get her into one of the best state schools in the country so we'd be mad not to".

Instead we get " blah blah, comprehensive education is best for everyone".

Rubbish. They wouldn't be sending her to my old comp where barely 20% met nationally expected levels.

If you are going to choose either a private school or a very, very good, selective, state school, at least have the balls to say "I'm doing it because I want my child to have the best I can give them".

[AgaPanthers]

Fusedog, Tristram Hunt said he would CONSIDER private school for his kids. His oldest I believe is in y1 state primary. Not boarding school.

[Dinosaursareextinct]

Why is everyone so sure that there was no bias involved in the decision to take the daughter? I don't think we should assume that, as if our officials and school management staff are totally beyond suspicion.

[taratamara]

There does seem to be a common theme dinosaurs of politicians getting their children into schools which mere mortals find extremely hard to get their children into. Its annoying that we're then supposed to be grateful for that.

The fact that there's so many hoops to jump through to get in would suggest it's not going to have the widest social mix/ baked beans openers

[Gillg57]

Meditrina - just coming back on your post earlier. I have no idea what the Straw family address was at the time they applied for a place at Pimlico school which is the relevant reference point. The problem his son had later in life isn't relevant at all and disappointing to see dragged up. Aside from that, even if on the other side of London, Pimlico School has always accepted children from far and wide. It is not uncommon in London for your child to attend a secondary school that is one or more council boundaries away from your home. Indeed that was the case for my children and for their friends, and for that matter for myself very many years ago :)

[meditrina]

Apologies - I deliberately did not mention the precise issue as I intended only to point out that his address during his DCs secondary years was publicly known, and from that it's clear he did no use his nearest state school, but one he liked better further away. And that was the only point I wanted to make.

I don't know the Gove address - but it will be close to Westminster. Greycoats is quite possibly his nearest secondary school (and with geographic feeders, the Govette could have also gone to closest primary to Westminster home and got a place on distance). So in terms of 'just go to your local school' it's possible that, unlike Straw, the Goves have done exactly that.

Other than schools with lotteries, or a few faith schools, it is exceptionally rare for London school to have an admissions footprint these days of over a mile, maybe two. So yes, pupils go over one borough boundary all the time, but over, but the days of 'one or more' are long gone.

[Gillg57]

Sorry meditrina, my current experience of children I know at school in London does not suggest that the twice a day shift of children from one side of London to the other to go to secondary school is anything other than very much alive and well. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

[meditrina]

I think you might be in a brilliant position, come next CAF round, to help MNetters by sharing your knowledge of London secondaries with admissions footprints that wide.

[WooWooOwl]

YABU.

Like any other parent, he should send his child to the best school he has access to that he thinks is right for her.

His daughter does not exist to score him and his government political points just because of his job.

[GarthsUncle]

Sarah Vine isn't called Mrs Gove, is she?

[Gillg57]

Meditrina - I'm sure MNetters will be mindful that there is more to choosing a school for your child than distance and do their own research.

[Lazyjaney]

"Nice to see Sarah Vine slagging off private school kids this week"

Par for the course for parents who get theirs into vair naice state schools iME.

I think her making those comments puts the Govette (love that term) issue in play.

[TamerB]

They will do what we all do- try and get their child the best possible school.

[fairylightsintheloft]

I think it is pretty unlikely that anything untoward occurred to get the girl in - he'd have to resign if it ever came out and it would be too easy to prove given the forensic approach people take (even just on this thread) to checking over the rules. Also, has anyone raised the idea that the girl my have expressed preference? If she wanted to go to this place and got in, fine.