BBC2 documentary Grammar schools who will get in? Why wouldn't you try?

[Whatatadoo]

Watching the documentary last night and thought the grammar school came across really well, the secondary modern not so good. Just wondering why, if you have the opportunity you wouldn't try for the grammar? I know all schools should be equal but in reality they're not. Why wouldn't you want to give your dc the best possible education if you had the chance?

There are no grammar schools in our area. How can it be a fair system when the opportunity to apply isn't even an option?Our son wouldn't have stood a chance but academically our daughter is at the top of her year. Our local secondary caters to both of their abilities. I'd have hated our son to feel like a failure at 10 years old.

Because far too many parents try to shoehorn their children into schools they don’t belong. In our area, tutoring is rife. From as early as year 2. And even though all the schools run tests to guage student ability and profile suitability for GS, and tell parents that consistent averages above 120 are required...they just don’t listen. They just think tutoring their child to pass the test, is the answer. I know so many parents who have ignored this advice, scraped their kids through after years of prepping, and then moaned about how unsupportive the GS were, when their kids scraped Cs at GCSE! Not to mention that most of them had tutors in secondary too..they just don’t get it!
If GS is supposed to be for a certain percentile of ability profile and above, then hot housing average ability kids, simply distorts the model. Tutoring to test achieves nothing but proud parents in cases like this. And often very unhappy kids.

The Govt likes Grammars because it costs them less money to run them. Parents are invested in their Child's education so push them to do well in the 11+. They therefore discipline their kids to toe the line to learn and keep that Grammar school space. Kids whose parents couldn't give a toss are the ones that suffer most educationally, unless they are smart enough to recognise that education is their way out of parent indifference.

What would be interesting is if all pupils were in a Comp and the disruptive pupils were removed and sent to a Behavioural School where they could learn to manage their emotions away from those that just want to get on with learning. But that costs more money, so it isn't happening any time soon.

I am watching this, we live near a grammar school but not a fully selective area. My DS is in Y1 and has some SEN though he's reasonably able generally and this makes me so sad. In my area only a small number bother with the exam so there's no real stigma to not trying. But listening to those children feel their lives will be over if they don't get in...