To send my academic child to a below average comp?

[Doncasterjan]

Due to various factors (change in catchment areas, lots of newbuild developments etc) it looks like the only secondary school my DD will get in to is our local comp. It's a big school, 9 form entry, with below average progress 8 and less than 40% Maths and English at level 4. My daughter is very academic and quiet and I'm really worried I've let her down.

We could look to move, but it's obviously a lot of disruption and upheaval (I also have a younger DD). Can't afford private.

What would you do? If we send her to the local school, what can we do to best support her education?

Have you looked to see how dc with higher attainment perform on the gov website? Often they still do well as a cohort in very average schools

It's worth being aware that part of the reason schools in affluent areas do well is that lots of the children have their education topped up with tutoring . Could you sort tutors for your child? If you can get tuition from now, it will given them the best chance of starting the school in higher sets where the learning environment tends to be better

Hard working bright children can help themselves and work hard within an average school and do well.
Often teachers will give extra help to children that are bright and very keen.
Talk to the school.

My DS went to the quite shite local comp. I didn’t want him on a bus for ages. Due to commutes we couldn’t have dropped him off. Both DH and I had long journeys to school, DH because he went on the train to a very good independent school. For myself I grew up semi rural and parents had no car so it was a 2 mile walk each way.

He did really well, all top grades at GCSE and A level and secured a place on a fully funded degree apprenticeship. Just graduated 1st class honours, no student debt and now on almost 40k PA at 24.

My DD was in this position in an area where around 30% got 5 GCSEs. Her teachers nurtured children in the top set, but thry were also in mixed ability classes for some subjects. Their GCSE results were excellent. DD eventually went to Oxford & now has a masters degree.

We encouraged her to follow her interests. She never needed tutors. Our house is full of books and we went to the theatre, museums and other interesting places to keep her engaged.

Thanks, these are the kind of responses I was hoping for... could definitely stretch to some tutors in future if needed. I just want her to be happy and achieve her potential really... I'm not super obsessed with the top grades (I got straight As at a grammar and haven't exactly ended up in a high flying career...)

I know lots of people who are doing very well in life who went to absolutely average/not so great, massive local schools. I think it can be fine. I hope it works out for you. But please don't feel bad. You can only do what you can do.

I went to a shit comp and got into Cambridge.

so for me, it would depend on a couple of things-

firstly do they set? If they set for most subjects then your child will (presumably) be in top set for most subjects and will have a very different experience than if in mixed ability.

second, what is the behaviour like? If there is bullying and violence this can be difficult for all students. If however behaviour is good it’s just got a lot of low ability kids I’d be a lot less worried.

Guess I'm kicking myself for not planning better, not pulling out all the stops to move to a better area, etc.

My son goes to the comp 5 minutes away. It's not got the best reputation but has just come under new management and he's thriving there. With the right encouragement bright kids will always thrive.

It doesn't help that a lot of friends from DD's primary seem to be swerving this school by either going private or sending their child to the very well regarded religious school (neither of which are options for us).

The reason children in affluent areas do better isn’t because of tutoring.

It’s because the children are more like to be from two parent households, those parents are more likely to have gone to university, the children are more likely to have a decent diet. They are more like to live in clean and warm houses. There are so many reasons why affluent areas produce more education children.

No reason your dc won't do well..why wouldn't she be in that 40% or above?

I guess it's the social side of things I'm worried about too? Like I don't want her to be in a school where it's "uncool" to work hard or do well? Maybe I'm massively stereotyping here! It's been a long time since I was at school!

Of course there are multiple reasons.
But DSD was underperforming at English and we sorted her a tutor and she climbed 3 grades in 6 months. That's not a coincidence. My maths teacher (at the kind of secondary people paid well over the odds for houses in, even then), was shit. I was predicted a C. My parents got me a tutor for year 11.and I got an A*. I know that wasn't down to my school

And I would estimate nearly half the children at the local secondary have tutors at one point or another .

It's abundantly clear to me that makes a difference

Again, if you can make sure (by a bit of tutoring /extra work at home if needed) she's in top sets going in, I don't think she will have an issue. My son's in all top sets (admittedly in a "good" school) and doesn't feel he needs to hide his love of learning at all.

Also, you can look at some good hobbies to help with who she mixes with both in and outside school. My son has the most gloriously lovely, hardworking but fun group of friends from climbing and sailing . They go to a mix of schools but none are afraid to talk about working hard or enjoying learning

I wouldn’t do it. What are their 7-9 levels? It’s all very well saying that hard working children do well anywhere but are they finishing the syllabuses? Is there enough of an academic peer group to push them forward and are the school bothered about kids getting the highest grades or just getting them over the line. I wouldn’t consider a school where less than half the children are leaving school with 5 grade 4’s. It’s pretty poor

you don’t just want your child to manage to get though school, you want them to do their best. I would definitely move for a better school.

I understand this, but what would you do if there weren't any other viable options? This is where I'm at. It's easy to say "I wouldn't do it", but what would you do?

My DC went to a comp in special measures. They both got good GCSEs, A* in 3 and 4 A levels and first class degrees at RG universities.
They got help at home and we took up the slack.
For A levels they switched to a sixth form college.

I’ve worked at big ‘bog standard comps’ where the bright kids have all done very well. Top set kids getting all 8/9s. 9 form entry is huge and there will be easily enough high achieving, high aspiring kids to fill a couple of top sets.

I wouldn’t want to send my child there, I’d move to be nearer a better school if at all possible.

Really do your research. It's not just about the teaching but about the ethos of the school.

We were at a local school that gave all resources to those who were struggling, and DC was not given any incentive to achieve or even participate. At a parent session I saw him raise his hand at every question and not be picked once - when I asked, I was told it was to help the less confident. Then he didn't even get a participation merit and was so disappointed and confused because he raised his hand every time, and the merits went to those who weren't putting in the work. This was just one example.

He's at a different school now, comes home with a participation sticker most days, has been elected to a school eco committee, and is much happier.

I'd move.
I'd worry about her making friends with the wrong kids and being dragged down.

if you get that school there are a number of things you can do to support your child.

first and most obvious is get a tutor. Make sure she is keeping up with at a minimum maths and English.

then, what is she interested in? If she already has a particular interest - maths, languages, whatever, then nurture it. Watch tv in those languages. Get her on Duolingo. If it’s maths or science show her YouTube channels like Numberphile and look at Royal Institution summer/saturday events.

if it’s music then get involved with your local county music service/music hub, they will have ensembles and music theory classes and so on that she can join.

if you really really don’t want her to go there then other strategies:
if it’s a grammar area look at the 11+ or if not there may be grammars that take from a wide area near-ish you

can she look at a scholarship to a private school at all or is that very unlikely?

find religion and get her into the religious school (some religions easier to find than others!)