To be surprised you mumsnetters criticised my ex’s school !!

[Jumell]

My ex went to an all boys’ comprehensive school in London. It’s been slagged off to the ground on here as being rough, not being the school of choice for MC parents, results are dire etc etc .

However he did leave the school in one piece and with 2 CSEs no less!! (OK showing his age a bit!) But the pearl clutchiness about his school on MN is immense !! 🤣 - I didn’t do CSEs btw so don’t truly know how good 2 CSEs is.
He left school in 1986 FYI - I was still a young school kid then, Dunno - was 2 CSEs good for 1986?!

FWIW the comp I went to wasn’t short for ‘comprehensive’ - more compost heap - but that’s possibly the subject of another thread. !

Yes - people are confusing Comps with Secondary Moderns!

When the 11+ was obligatory the ones who did well went to the Grammar and the ones who didn’t went to the Secondary Modern.

Comprehensives meant exactly that - a comprehensive education for absolutely everyone. They did both CSEs and O-Levels (GCEs) and took all abilities.

A grades were quite rare. As at A-level were like hens teeth. But 7-10 O-level passes were fairly common (I did nine)

But 2 CSEs was still a shite outcome 😂

And if not, the entrance exam included essay questions on subjects such as speculating on the inside of a ping pong ball!

Although for the first few years after the 11+ was abolished the comprehensives were pretty awful as many still had the secondary modern attitude and staff.
Some of the former grammars turned private (Keir starmers school) and the rare few that went comprehensive still had the grammar attitude with a few extra classes tacked on

2 CSEs was what a particularly kind teacher might have termed "better than nothing". Actually I've never heard anyone actually name a school on here. And you use Mumsnet (frequently) so less of the "you mumsnetters".

My kids' secondary school was a former grammar school and fully embraced the comprehensive ethos. Local school for everyone who lives in the local area.

The one up the road never forgot that it was originally a grammar even during the years when it wasn't. (Friend went there. Said it was incredibly up itself.) Staff referred to the linked girls' school as "the whores on the hill". Went GM as soon as it could and is now one of the most selective schools for miles around. Pretends that it's private eg they don't offer football but play rugby and cricket.

I know - sorry the ‘you mumsnetters’ comment was an admittedly misguided attempt to be lighthearted

oh I’ve seen schools aplenty named on here! His school was criticised for not attracting mc parents

who on earth wants a school with kids of MC parents 🤣

who on earth wants a school with kids of MC parents 🤣

Other MC parents? Because we’re all practically indistinguishable, a real monolith. Not the largest and most diverse demographic at all. 😉

I was trying maybe misguidedly to be lighthearted

Thing is .. ok I get you but …

when I said I went to a school in the middle of 2 council estates to a middle class lady (teacher as it happens) she looked at me as if I had horns on my head !!

I kid ye not -

I MAY AS WELL HAVE HAD HORNS !!

My other experience of MC mums abd kids that I personally knew - and I appreciate this only applies to my experience and not all -

one MC kids had a bag with slogans like ‘Stand Down Thatcher’ - this was the late 80s - she was the kid of very lefty teachers . But when it came to actually mixing with WC kids she totally looked down her nose. Sorry but this was my actual personal experience of MC kids

Yes, exactly.

I don't believe anyone critized it. You seen the income threads on this site 🧐 100k is average here, we sit around talking about which boarding schools to send the DC to. We would NEVER waste an iota of time mentioning an individual normal/shit school by name. Sorry I don't make the rules you'll have to post a link for me to believe you

I guess the middle class parents who complain about it. 😂 When my kids were at school, I gravitated towards the nice parents rather than the naice parents and they could be from any echelon.

Good call !! 💪

Yes, a snooty lot of entitled people on MN, I am afraid. Though 100k a year does not make you MC by any length. It is attidude and aspirations, a certain moral outlook etc that make you MC. Most MC people I have met have made me want to identify as WC asap!

If you want ordinary women you need the feminist boards.

His school has bern criticised on several threads on here .. when i told my ex about some of the comments mumsnetters made his response was:

”what’s the ma’er wivvya? I fort them on Mumsnet was all well educated, open minded and liberal!” 🤣 🙌

I mean whenever I've had a nosy at the school boards on Mumsnet it's always been discussing whether to send tarquinnius and Clementine to boarding school or whether to start the tutoring for grammar school now (now usually being something like age 5 lol).

I can't imagine any of them spending one second of their consideration on a regular free school where someone only got two GCSEs even to criticise it would be a waste of time to them. Time better spent booking the next holiday to the Seychelles 😉

Fair point !!