to ask would you send your eldest Dc to a grammar school?

[var12]

Hypothetical question... if there were grammar schools in your area and your DC1 was offered a place, would you accept it?

Can I ask once again why we are only talking about the needs of the high achievers? Why are high achievers more important than any other group?

And why is it only kids who are capable of jumping through the right hoops at 11 are entitled to "social mobility"? I find the whole grammar debate, on both sides, both interesting and depressing.

Also if you're going to quote Wilshaw:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37275092

""The idea that poor children will benefit from a return of grammar schools is "tosh" and "nonsense", says the outgoing chief inspector of Ofsted.
Sir Michael Wilshaw said a return to selection at 11 years old would be a "profoundly retrograde step" that would lead to sliding standards.
He spoke out after reports that Prime Minister Theresa May favours changing the law so new grammars can open."

Betreand It's because they think their children are super bright. I wonder how intelligent their child would really turn out be if they were tested in a way that you couldn't prepare for.

Very interesting reading Humid and very telling.

What is also very telling is how (after hundreds of posts insisting true comps do stretch and challenge the most gifted) when confronted with empirical evidence saying that comps just don't do this....those same, vociferous, posters immediately change tack...move the goal posts... and start bleating 'Why should we only be concerned about the most able?'

Just brilliant. I bleddy love Mumsnet

Doggity our DD2 is super bright. She read 'A Christmas Carol' when she was 6. At 9 she could race through DD1's 11+ homework, having never seen questions like them before.

Some kids really are just that bright. Just like some kids have perfect pitch, or other kids can draw so beautifully.

And she's now at school with plenty of girls just as super bright. She's no exception.

I certainly haven't changed tack. I have always held the view that it is wrong to base an education on the needs/wants of the high ability kids.
I'm glad your dd is so super bright. Bit of a shame that her intellect is so fragile that it would somehow rub off if she was forced to share a dinner queue with mere mortals.

As easily countered with emprical data to prove that the "progress" expected is not accurate. :)

Ofsted’s claim – that children who achieve top grades at primary school should go on to achieve top grades in later exams – was challenged as inaccurate and unrealistic by new research published on Wednesday.

"Rebecca Allen, director of Education Datalab – a specialist education statistics startup – said its research showed the majority of pupils did not follow linear paths for academic attainment but instead showed considerable movement.

“It simply isn’t reasonable to assume that a child who gains a level 5 [at key stage 2, in primary school] should go on to get an A or an A*,” Allen said.

According to the research, only one in 10 pupils make predictable progress at each stage, while most children will perform better or worse than their expected attainment on one or two occasions."

Also the head of the organisation you are quoting, opposes grammar schools.

Bleddy love Mumsnet and its confirmation bias.

Oh Bertrand your rampant bitterness knows no bounds, does it

Her intellect is formidably robust, and she loves being at a grammar school

www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sutton-trust-he-destination-report-final.pdf

Given their selective intake, grammar schools would appear to be under-represented among the most successful schools for Oxbridge entry “

More empirical data.

Bertrand is your DS going to take advantage of the grammar school for sixth form or have you 'decided' for him to stay at his current school !

small it's very sweet that you're digging this stuff out...but, you're preaching to the wrong poster.

I'm only really bothered about my own DD's education (I guess Mother Nature made me that perverse...?) and they love their grammar school and are thriving.

So I am perfectly content. I'm only on here, playing, so to speak.

But I admire your earnest-ness

"Bertrand is your DS going to take advantage of the grammar school for sixth form or have you 'decided' for him to stay at his current school !"

No idea. Depends on his wishes and his grades. Your point?

I think 'only playing' is quite helpful here, for us to remember there's not that much, at, stake, in discussions with some, people.

I'm only on here to play too.

Its fun that none of the arguments for grammars stand up, despite all of your desperate attempts.

Even the OFSTED data is only based upon visiting 40 schools even then it found that:

"a quarter of those who showed very strong potential in English and maths at age 11 did not go on to achieve a B grade at GCSE."

So three quarters did so.

Yet another case of teacher and education bashing, without actually taking everything into account.

Yep.

It must be very odd to have such a solipsistic view of the world that it is incomprehensible that anyone might consider the needs and wants of anyone apart from their immediate family.

DD 1 loves her grammar school and will be very sad when she leaves next year!

The fact that DD1 has not been forced to 'intervene' (in her role as deputy head girl) . This meaning she has not had to stop pushing fighting or 'hair' pulling tells you everything you need to know about the difference about 'Comps' and her grammar school !

Also the girls 'Don't eat with their mouths open !

Yeah but they are unbearable snobs though.

It's not 'incomprehensible' to me Bertrand that others care about others beyond their immediate family...I'm just saying that I don't (well, maybe a little bit).

My dd was deputy head girl in her time (she was robbed, natch ) and funnily enough also didn't have to intervene in any hair pulling at her comprehensive school. Tells you everything you need to know, right?

Actually Small Fox, you are quite right one of DD2s friends after being invited for tea informed me that she only drinks 'TROPICANA ORANGe JUICE AND THAT HER MUM ONLY BUYS EVIAN WATER FOR HER'

Her mum came to pick her up in her brand new £75,000 7 seat Mercedes GLS!

Well she sounds very badly brought up Sandy but I'm not sure of your point?

Now, you see DD2 still has a distressing tendency to sometimes eat with her mouth open. No idea why? DD1 doesn't.

Of course, it could be that DD2 just never, ever stops talking...even while eating.

I'd put up with a bit of open mouth eating over that any day.

Would also take a very dim view of any of DD's friends demanding certain drinks

When their friends come over they go through the kitchen cupboards like a plague of locusts...

Oh when my children's friends are over I make sure my own girls have first pick of what's in the cupboards. I have to think of my own first!