Priority admissions to grammar for free school meals

[polycomfort]

I'm pretty much not a person to start hand-wringing over low income families getting breaks. Happy for people less fortunate to get the odd leg up. Fine.

But I'm really angry to have just read that the local grammar school has just started giving priority admission to children claiming free school meals. I understand they get an extra £900 per child so I get that there is probably a financial benefit for the schools themselves. But I've been practicing with my daughter every evening (can't afford a tutor) using books I've bought cheap on Amazon and was thinking she might be just about good to go after lots of effort from both of us and now I'm just thinking what's the point? There are 20 applications per space as it is, and now just because I'm not poor she has even less of a chance. We don't have a high income but I work full time and so she doesn't get free school meals. For my efforts I may end up having to send my really rather bright daughter to the crappy (and it is crap) local comp even though she may be brighter than a child whose parent doesn't bust a gut to work every day of the week.

I don't think it's okay for grammar schools to be crammed full of wealthy kids who could go to private school, but couldn't they do a household income cut off rather than using a free school meal as the criteria? Then all the kids who can't afford to go to private school could be assessed for grammar school. I don't see why kids from the middle income should be penalised.

I can't believe there are so many selfish, unchristian people about!!
Children on FSM still need to pass the exam!!

Marynary- could you indulge me and look it up?

I think people are perfectly happy to have the most disadvantaged children in the most disadvantaged schools in the most disadvantaged area- as long as their child gets a good education they couldn't care less!

Hakluyt - I just tried but couldn't find it on the internet.

but but beyond what do you mean by potential? Potential isn't just about being smart- you need other atributes too. I am smart, but at times did not perform well. This is becasue I was not motivated to - motivation is a key part of sucess. And all the psychological research around this tells us that intrinsic motivation is what counts. You don't do well in the long term unless you are truly motivated from within- that's not about keeping up with your peers, or pleasing your parents, or because of financial reward (a well resaerched area). You do well becasue you are intersted and motivated from within.
So motivation is an aspect of potential, without that aspect in your personal make up you have less potential- even if you're really bright

It'll be here

Doublethecuddles it's not usually a pass/fail exam though. In my area, the entry scores for those on pupil premium were quite a bit lower than those for the other pupils for some of the grammar schools. In addition, since introducing the policy, the entry score for non pupil premium children has gone up.

Hakluyt Over 10% have been eligible in the last six years.

"Doublethecuddles it's not usually a pass/fail exam though. In my area, the entry scores for those on pupil premium were quite a bit lower than those for the other pupils for some of the grammar schools. In addition, since introducing the policy, the entry score for non pupil premium children has gone up."

Interesting. I didn't think any of the grammer schools had done this yet. Encouraging to know that it works.................

Interesting. I didn't think any of the grammer schools had done this yet. Encouraging to know that it works.........

The entries score are published on the internet. I don't really want to link as I would rather not identify where I live and the school my children go to.

Of course. Just fantastic to think that a grammar school can get 10% on FSM. Let's hope soon they all will.

Marynary. Over 10% in the Last six years would probabally = about 3.5% being currently qualified for FSM. Just over the average for grammar of 2% schools but six times lower the overall avergage of about 15%.

Marynary. Over 10% in the Last six years would probabally = about 3.5% being currently qualified for FSM. Just over the average for grammar of 2% schools but six times lower the overall avergage of about 15%.

Either the website is incorrect about those on pupil premium or the headmistress wasn't just talking about PP then when she said that pupils at the school were very similar to the national average. They haven't lowered the score for those on PP for that reason.

Marynary. As a general rule the six year average should be divided by about 2.5 to give the current FSM rate. The only Grammar school I can find on the perfomance stats that has over 10% present(21% over 6 years) is Stretford Grammar 10.3 FSM current rate 21% over six years.

Maybe the inner city Birmingham grammar schools might get close to 10 % FSM !. But as far as I have seen Stretford Grammar is the only grammar in the country with over 10% current FSM.

Will read the thread.

My initial thoughts are that if your child comes from a middle class background and has tutoring in any form (by you or who ever) and she doesn't get a place or she just scrapes through - maybe it's not the best place for your DD. Being at the bottom of a very academic school will not do her confidence or self esteem any good. There is more to education then academia.

People often assume that grammar schools are the best schools and get the best out of the children. This is not correct. There are grammars that don't move their children on enough sats sub levels and there are comps that do the opposite.

Yes, well, smokepole, one hopes that is not the school marynary is referring to, as she so specifically said she didn't want it identified........

'Bingo' Handsworth Grammar 13.3% /27.8% FSM Current/ Six year.

Very rare for grammar schools to be over 4%FSM Current.

smokepole I didn't say 10% present. I said over 10% in the last six years. This is the relevant figure as far as I am concerned as the PP entry score applies to all those pupils not just those currently on FSM.

Anyway, you don't know where I live and for all you know it may be in Birmingham so stop trying to suggest that I am lying. By the way, Handsworth grammar school in Birmingham has 27.8% on FSM in the last six years.

OP and others can get as cross as they like- it is here to stay and others will follow.

I think, on balance I don't like superselectives at all because of the facts that kids are applying from so far away

I actually prefer superselectives because by taking children from far and wide plenty of bright children that live near to the superselective are in classes in the local non selective schools. I think the superselective system works better for the local non selective schools.

yes hettie I know that I mean potential as in a motivated, loves learning and also bright child.