to move DD from her nice independent school where she has a scholarship because her brother didn't get offered one?

[middleschoolmuddle]

We are not rich but nor are we poor. The school have offered us a 16% bursary for DS - it's not enough.

Would it be mean to move DD to a state school at this stage (Y9)? Has anyone done this?

I can't think straight, my mind is whirring so I'd love some perspective from those of you that have managed to use the local 'good' state schools and pass up the rather nice (best in County) independent one.

I've dipped in and out of this thread and can't understand the OP's argument really. I can only think she is either self-deluded about her reasons for private schooling (ie won't acknowledge she is a massive snob) or was a really lousy state school teacher (if she believes her children can't possibly access the same things at state).

Btw, Wrt the daughter, of course don't move her until the end of yr11, if it is possible to avoid it.

There were 6 pupils who got Oxbridge places from our (state, non selective) Comp last year.

Have to agree with the pp's who say 3 from a year group of a selective private school is very low.

hak why on earth do you want to make this personal between your DS and the OPs DD?

Is that the same super selective that your ds didn't get a place at? Will your dd definitely get a place? Presumably she was borderline before (if she didn't get offered a place until a term in.) Do you have a plan for if she doesn't get offered a place?

You've lost me there - the desirable school is only good enough for GCSE's but you're planning to jump ship back to state 6th form which is better in another area?

Why can't you move to the area where the good state 6th form is? Is this a 6th form of a grammar that we are talking about - the one, your DC didn't get into?

There's an awful lot of chopping and changing planned regardless of the lack of income issue. I think that continuity of education is probably more important than where to send your kids for the best academic results possible especially when you put a low priority on the impact on your children - all this moving from this school to another malarkey.

I'm now reading this thread more cynically - it's not the lack of funds that is driving you to move DD after her GCSE's is it? - it's the hope of getting her into an even more 'academic' 6th form . It just so happens to be state.

Bonkers!

It's the lack of funds!! I would love her to stay there for 6th form and lead the orchestra etc etc but we definitely cannot afford that.

kundry
In my school if you applied to Oxbridge, you expected an offer - success was much much higher than 1 in 2.
That is interesting because on another thread somebody linked the admission data for Oxford and Cambridge by school - NO school got anywhere near 100% - in fact the most interesting thing was the consistency of the 2 applicants to 1 place ratio.

A place at 6th form comes by way of 7A*s (predicted) and success at interview.

If she doesn't make that then, shock horror, she'll have to go to a non selective state school. Except most schools are pretty selective by the time you get to the 6th form. I'm not too worried about that for now.

talkin perhaps it was in ye olden days?

But I agree that currently it just doesn't happen.

12/34 Oxbridge offers that this particular superselective got were for DC that joined in the 6th form. Make of that what you will.

OP please don't count on predictions. They're not really even that. They're targets .

No one can predict the future...especially with all the messing about the government do with GCSEs. Or is your DD doing IGCSEs?

No no, I mean that the school only interviews those students that have been predicted 7A* at GCSE.

DD is the first year to get the new 9-1 gradings, don't know how that will translate to 6th form applications.

Hear Hear To Wordfactory on predictions.

DD took her GCSEs last summer.
Between June - when she sat them - and August - when the results came out - the moderation policy was altered
so she got less A* than predicted
and many, many schools had to go for full cohort re-marks.

Kids are just pawns in the political game. GCSE grades are a gamble.

As parents we have to reassure them that they are still worth it even when ministers piss on their achievements.

Agree Talkin.

Oxbridge acceptance is very hard to judge so if a school has a very high apply:offer ratio then they are probably discouraging applicants who have a chance but a long shot. And some of those long shots will get in.

One of the things that I used to say over and over when I did target schools talks (encouraging state school pupils into Oxbridge) was "it's only 1 out of 6 spots on your Ucas form, give it a go!"

Hi

talkin and kundry - my daughter is in Yr12 and is having to apply to apply for Oxbridge, ie the school is weeding out their prospective candidates to make sure that only those who are likely to succeed will be put forward. Yes, it's an independent school, but they also have a point. She changed schools at sixth form and her friends from her last school are all being put forward for Cambridge with NO CHANCE of getting in. I'm thinking "Why??? Why encourage them, only for their hopes to be dashed just in time for their A2s?"

Back to "Is Private School any good and will I reap the rewards" argument:

My brother went to the "Catholic Eton" as they like to describe themselves. He is now an entitled, self-centred grabby pr*ck. That school may have got him to Oxford, but he has no manners nor respect for anyone else.

OP - do be careful about putting on the rose tinted spectacles.

The reason I put the (predicted) in there was because you obviously don't have the grades yet when you are applying for a 6th form place. I've been thinking that it really wouldn't be in the independent school's interest to predict those high grades for their students if it means potentially losing them for the 6th form though. Still I'm sure they'd have to predict in line with current/recent performance.

And to clarify as to why they won't get in - because they got Cs at GCSE mixed in with the A/A*s.

Straight A/A*s these days, I'm afraid, especially if you're applying from an independent.

Well, thank god for that!

The superselective is a state 6th form then? I made an assumption but then realised that I shouldn't have. Is it near where you live at least?

Nope, same distance away. We are semi rural so not much is close.

Dougierose that would be my experience from my school days - you were only put forward if you were a dead cert.

Fraid it's also my experience of people from both the Catholic and Protestant Etons too! And Harrow which I used to live next door to.

You are either in that world or you are not. While the power and money might be appealing, the more you see of that world close up, the less attractive it is.

Right, now caught up on 'cultural capital' discussion a few pages ago. My feeling is that it's not an 'exclusive' of the private sector as lots of parents around here whose DC attend state school pay for out of school cases - e.g. drama, sport, art, music, language groups. If the will and ability to pay is there it is quite possible for your child in state school to enter the adult world with appropriate confidence, knowledge of the world, feeling of 'entitlement' (in a naice way though!!) to pave their way ahead. Thinking otherwise is a form of pretentious bollocks, IMO.

And somebody up thread (was it Zero? ) seemed to be suggesting a 'culture' of thinking it was okay to be in the dock (of a court of law) could be avoided through private ed. All I can say is: What about the privately educated offspring of jailed cabinet ministers, bankers, doctors, people who have killed by dangerous driving, crooked lawyers, gangstas? It's ludicrous to think being a jailbird is exclusive to the 'plebs'.

Lots of posters seem to know the indie school in question...can somebody give me a hint? Is the grammar in Colechester?

classes not cases.

Kundry, my DC is at an independent and they do give robust advice to those wanting to apply to Oxbridge, based on their experience of that candidate and previously successful candidates. Just to say, though, a school does not "put you forward" to Oxbridge - no school can dictate which university a pupil applies for. What is relevant is the school reference, because no decent school will oversell a candidate. The school's reputation is too important to them for them to risk a university starting to disbelieve their references. (Well I believe that anyway ) Naive , moi ? . Anyhow a subtle point .