‘Grammar schools’ that are actually fee paying

[Vipersnest88]

AIBU to feel a bit irritated when people claim that ‘x county’ has grammar schools because there is ‘X grammar school’ there but it is an independent school and nothing of the sort? Often a not even particularly high performing school. I don’t understand why some comprehensive schools change their names with no issue for various reasons but yet these private schools with ‘grammar’ in their name never change?

Some may say it’s just a name but with all the politics/opinions/snobbery/competitiveness surrounding grammar schools these days, I am surprised they haven’t lost the ‘grammar’ part and wondering why?

I'm sure most people are aware of which schools are independent and which are not regardless of the schools name , so if parents want to kid themselves their child got in on merit( when that isn't necessarily the case) because their child ,s independent school has "Grammar " in the title that's their prerogative.

I went on a scholarship to a selective independent grammar school that called itself 'St X and St Y's Public Grammar School For Young Ladies'. How's that for a bit of pretentious terminology.

Well.some of us only have comprehensive school,s Pass, " Super selective " schools is only a term I hear on mumsnet so you can't blame people for not knowing the difference when they live in a fully comprehensive LEA .

Passthecherrycoke or we could value them as people and not get hung up on everyone understanding exactly which one is cleverer.

I get more irritated by people who don’t understand the difference between super selectives and grammar.

Same here. There are 3 state grammars in our county. None are "super selective". All three have "pass"/entry marks requirement in the 11+ of around only 70-75% so are relatively easy to gain a place for the generally brighter pupils and excessive tutoring simply isn't needed. Kids with parents who are "normal" go there - rather than royalty, merchant bankers and politicians - they're nurses, police officers, shop workers, solicitors, accountants, teachers, farmers, etc. Super-selectives are completely different.

I think the fee paying Grammar schools I am aware of still have an entrance exam. But it's known to be easier than the very selective state Grammars in the area.

To complicate matters we have Gramnar schools in scotland which are comps and nor fee paying. Musselburgh grammar springs to mind. Name is a relic of the past.

MatchaMuffin They’re not actually mystically exclusive, they’re perfectly valued as people. However the super selective Niece has done brilliantly and I think that should be recognised

@Passthecherrycoke I haven’t heard of ‘super selective’, what is that? Are these super selective schools fee paying or state?

It doesn't matter though, anyone likely to use a school will know what it actually is. So at best a bit silly. Like calling your house Rose Cottage when it's a new build terrace without a rose bush in sight

Super selectives are state schools who have an 11+ entrance exam but rather than pass fail they take the students with the top X marks.

My nieces school had 2000 children sit the exam and just over 100 places. The 100 places pretty much go to children achieving 90%+ marks in the exam rather than simply pass or fail.

Whereas as Kazzy says above, 11+ in a grammar pass /fail area means about 20% of all children pass

What about the state comps that continue to call themselves a grammar without having any form of entry selection?

Because that is historic. DD’s old school is * Grammar School because it was founded over 600 years ago. It has kept the same name during its entire existence. Older people round here still call it the grammar school even though it has been comprehensive for years.

When I was a school governor I attended a governor’s conference where there was an inspirational speaker who said that schools who change their names regularly to reinvent themselves are the ones to be wary of. Often the name changes are to try and disassociate them from a poor reputation.

We have no state grammar schools in our county (thank goodness). The nearest fee paying grammar schools are in the next city, and require the child to pass an entrance exam. So to get into them requires the child’s academic ability and the parents’ ability to pay.

Completely off tangent but I would never call my house" Rose Cottage "Fizzy and anybody who has ever worked in a hospital will understand why!!

I went to a Grammar (super selective type) which doesn't have Grammar in the name. But everyone knows you need to pass the exam.

Passthecherrycoke but surely you just say "well done" to each child and move on? Are you expecting adults to be more effusive with the praise to one child, or sit around singing her praises more behind her back, or what?

I went to an academically very different school from my brother and I would have been mortified if my aunt had thought I deserved more praise for getting in.

Your comments are so far away from my thinking I can’t answer them @Matchmuffin. I’m not sure why you think you understand what I posted really.

I didn’t know this was a thing! We are a grammar area. I didn’t know any private schools had grammar in the names!

Our local grammar school is a state school, not even an entrance exam. No fees etc.

In fact it's an academy.

AIBU to feel a bit irritated when people claim that ‘x county’ has grammar schools because there is ‘X grammar school’ there but it is an independent school and nothing of the sort?

Unless these people are politicians making some kind of point about education policy why on earth would it matter?

i do not understand your point Portsmouth grammar school is a fee paying private school and everyone knows this

RGS Newcastle is nearly 500 years old, and some of the other RGSs are even older. Should they change their names because you are a little confused?

Surely in the area you live people know whether it is a grammar. If anything, I think it is probably an advantage not to have it in the name when applying for universities and jobs as some people seem to think it gives children and unfair advantage.

It just makes me feel grateful that where I live, there are no grammar schools and barely any fee paying schools. Generally people just crack on and go to their local catchment comp without any angst.

The grammars that were established centuries ago started out as fee-paying, though some were subsidised by charity.