Grammar or local school that's v good. Don't know which way to go.

[Morethanthisprovincallife]

We are very very lucky in that we have an extremely good non selective girls schools Within a 10 minute walk from our house. The catchment for it is shrinking every year and we are in it.

It's all girls and seeing them walk around town they look smart. The results are good for it being non selective although it's ofsted good.

We looked at a range of schools last year and it's the only local one I would consider.

But. We saw several grammar schools within 10 mile radius. I went to grammar school and private school and state school.
The grammars we saw looked OK but not worth the hassle of the 11+. One is one of the best in the UK. Personally I didn't like it.

I'm saying this to qualify I'm not a sucker for gs.

But, one of them was amazing. The girls we spoke to were head and shoulders above all other schools including best in UK.

The teachers were amazing. The facilities were fantastic. The drama dept was outstanding, the art, sewing, cooking etc. It's an ofsted outstanding school.
It blew me away. It blew dd away.

It would be harder but not impossible to get her there. Also the catchment is in very interesting part of UK. Where we live is quite stifling and provincial.

My dd will do really well I think wherever she goes. She will get same gcses from both schools.

One she can walk too, have more local friends.

The other is like the best private school and has that extra zing.

Would anyone go for the the grammar?
Is there any point?

I think if it was me I would try not to think about one being a grammar and one being non selective. (But I do understand lots of people don’t agree with grammars etc and that’s a different argument) So, say they were both non selective which one would your dd prefer to go to, and why, I think the feel of a school is sometimes more important than other factors. If your dd will do well in either and can do the same gcse in both then i think it’s down to where she would feel happiest and which will give her the best all round education, the most opportunities going forward, not necessarily academic but as you say friendships, extra curricular. I took my ds to look at a school years ago that has a long standing reputation of being “the school to try and get in to” both he and I hated it! If he had loved it then we would have put it down as first choice and I would have kept quiet! Good luck.

Grammar

Which does DD prefer?

Would anyone go for the the grammar?

We have and did. DD starts next week!

We are in the enviable position of having the two best state schools in the LA, plus the single-sex grammar and two good privates

The grammar was mind blowing. The test is tough and results needed are high. Then you have to apply and see if you get in distance wise.

Which one does she want to go to? Pick that one.

Just to add, for us it was vital DD made the decision.

If you and DD like the Grammar then why wouldn't you try to get in?

Obviously there is the issue of the test but if she passes then great, if not, she's probably not suited to the Grammar and would fair better at the non-selective. So no harm in trying is there?

Not saying this is you OP, but I really don't understand why people but their personal/political ideas about schools before the best interests of their children, which is what a lot of people do when it comes to Grammars.

Green

This is nothing at all to do with politics at all. I would never ever sacrifice dd on the altar of my beliefs.

If our other schools were rubbish no question I would be throwing everything at the best school.

But, I don't need to do that because we have a very good non selective near to us. If you compared results the non selective would be amazing.

She is sitting 11+. We are out of catchment but people further away have got in.

If it was between all the other grammars and local school, it would be local. It's just this one school was amazing.

The problem is it will be harder to get her there. Not impossible by any means. Just tricky. Unless I drove her everyday.

Which perhaps I should?
She doesn't have strong feelings either way.

She's not been tutored at all, just home prep for 11+. She knows local is v v good. Many class mates will be going there.
But if she could choose, it would be zingy grammar.

I assume from your comment about the girls you spoke to that the grammar is also single sex? So that’s one difference off the table.

Our choice was local co-ed comp (outstanding, good results and good Progress 8) vs girls grammar in the next town. That was after hedging our bets - we’re in priority area for the comp, but no guarantees. DD did have the 11+ pass in the bag by the time we applied - don’t assume your daughter will pass, bright kids have bad days, or don’t suit the test.

It was DD’s decision to stay local, and it seems to be working out. She’s not been horribly distracted by boys (yet), and while she’s not done a lot extracurricular-wise that seems to be just her (there are plenty of oppprtunities).

One thing strikes me - you’ve cited the interesting area the grammar is in as a plus. Do local kids go to the school?

we had a similar dilemma - outstanding single sex secondary that DD could walk to, have local friends etc vs outstanding single sex grammar a train ride away, which with some pushing I'm pretty sure she could have got into (school agreed).

We went for the secondary, and in our case, it was absolutely the right decision. DD is top sets whereas realistically she would have been at the bottom end of ability in the grammar, and that suits her better - I know some girls who would treat that as a challenge, but DD wouldn't. She also struggled a lot with the transition, with making new friends, and getting up in time - if she'd not been able to walk with friends, go back to their houses easily, and had to get up even earlier, the last couple of years would have been hell. Not to mention having to deal with the fairly regular train problems.

So I would think about it from all angles, not just academically (though I'm sure DD will end up with just as good results tbh, the school she's at is fabulous and it's pastoral support very good.)

The results are good for it being non selective although it's ofsted good.

What does that mean?

My stepson got into the grammar school and was doing really well, his mother pulled him out and sent him to the local (good) comprehensive. He did superbly well. He got As and A*s all the way and is now at a top university and go a first in his exams. The only negative is it was a forty minute drive to his school, so therefore his friends and social life too. I often felt bad that he didn't have many good friends locally.

Yes both single sex. Mixed or single hasn't been an issue really. We don't mind it's just turned out that way.

Dh said not getting up so early will be a big + in teen years.
She will have more time with her sibling. Home earlier. More time perhaps to do other things.

A good friend of mine who is hugely successful is a big believer in extra stuff coming from home. Ie we put her into drama provision outside school.

If she doesn't pass it will be a relief although she's v bright just not tutored.
She will be in top sets which ever school she goes too..
She doesn't struggle at all in anything (yet).

I know the difference I felt going to grammar. But her schools will be much better than where I went anyway.

Parents do influence dc.

Holiday, I mean, considering its not selective the locals schools results are v v good. However its not rated ofsted outstanding its only rated good.

The grammar we like is outstanding and just got some amazing results

Whatever the pros and cons please ensure the final choice is made by your child and not you. Just been through similar; child chose the best mixed comp in the area over single sex grammar.

Considering the travel involved and my commitment of course I will have to decide as well. She is a child, she doesn't understand getting up early, driving and all those aspects.

But yes we do consider her descion. If she was set on local school we would be considering the grammar.

It's not just the school journey , think about where her friends will be located and where her social life will be. You could be making life very hard for yourself when you have a great school on your doorstep.

The issue for me I I hate our town and I'm concerned she will become rooted here. I ended up here quite by accident really.
We are surrounded by lovely places and I notice a big difference between here and there. It's like we are in a strange bubble.

The grammar is in a better area, having friends further away only by 7 miles isn't necessarily a bad thing but I think I'm over thinking it. Another option is to stick with local school but try and get her in different 6 form but by that point friendships are firm, it might be harder for her to move.

Re the travel you have to figure out if it’s possible, if it is, then it’s her choice. It’s that old truism again of never giving a child an option you don’t want them to choose.

It’s hard to imagine the difference between settling in your current town and moving on being where she goes to school, or even just sixth form - for most people I know the reasons they ended up away from where they grew up were 1) university 2) work. In fact I did go to a sixth form in the next town (from where I grew up, not where I am now) and don’t think it made a blind bit of difference. The people I know who are still in the area are mostly the ones who didn’t go to university.

Sixth form I agree is tricky, DD’s school takes new entrants in Yr12, in particular from a smaller local secondary which doesn’t have a sixth form. It’ll be interesting to see if she acquires any new friends at that point, or if they remain quite separate. The mixed sex grammar on th other side of town does too (on a UCAS-style points system) and apparently that can be really hard on the new kids.

Why wouldnt you send her to the best school? Its the best

I'm thinking about quality of home life, time spent with her sibling, running around in cars.

Does the closeness of the very good school trump the glitz of the grammar. And the fact she may have more time to do other classes of she goes local

We had the same decision to make- we thought long and hard about which school would suit DD best, and would bring out her potential most, and went with that.
You know she'll get good grades whichever you choose, so go on where she'll be happiest. They spend a lot of time in school, on school work, after school activities etc. If she comfortable and happy she'll be supported to go her furthest.

It will depend on which your DD prefers, and how does she learn? Is she very theory and book driven? If so she will do well at the grammar. If she prefers a more hands on approach, then maybe a grammar is not for her.

I went to my local grammar school, which was the best school in the area by a country mile. But I went from being one of the “cleverest” children in my primary school to being very much middle of the road at secondary school. This wasn’t just down to ability, this was down to it being the loudest girls who got the most attention. Basically, if you were doing brilliantly or doing awfully you got lots of attention but otherwise you were left to coast along. I found it dispiriting and confidence-bashing. On hindsight, I’m sure I would’ve done a lot better at a local comp. Also, I loved the idea of going to a single sex school but ended up hating it - too bitchy, too cliquey etc etc.

It's so difficult.

At the moment she doesn't compare herself to anyone and I wonder if being carried along is a good thing, but she would be top set anyway in local school