Schools admission criteria......

[LookingforMaryPoppins]

So, my youngest has her heart set on the same grammar school as her sister. She has worked hard and successfully passed the 11 plus. Really proud off her, she is dyslexic so no mean feat.... having just checked the admission criteria, having a sibling at the school makes no difference. Passing the 11 plus is the first criteria followed by children in care, pupil premium and then distance - she is bottom of the pile. If she doesn't get a place, which with that criteria is likely., the option is a sink failing school..... how is that fair?

The idea of that criteria is not to give children in care or pp an advantage, but to put them on an equal footing as it will generally be harder for them to achieve the results needed to pass. It is designed to make it fairer, even if it doesn't feel that way.

no, I don't .... I think all children should have the opportunity of a decent education.

In a selective system so don't understand why children from normal families should be the lowest priority and the most likely to be deprived of decent schooling because they happen to have parents who work.

Pupil premium does not necessarily mean a child had parents that don't work.

yes

Also doesn't mean they are disadvantaged....

All candidates will have to have passed the 11 plus. When you're looking at the number of children in care - usually a small percentage of the population of any school - you're talking about a very small number. I can't speak similarly re children with pupil premium because I don't know the area, but I seriously doubt that all the places will be taken by children from these two groups. It doesn't sound like you live a long way from the school. You may be catastrophising, but you have possible grounds for appeal if she doesn't get in, in respect of her dyslexia.

I thought all schools gave priority to children in care. I've looked at the admissions criteria for all my local schools and it's often only 1 or 2 children getting places based on being in care. Find the sheet with the actual numbers. For the school my son wants, most children are accepted under category 8 on the list.

I don’t think you should be overly concerned that she won’t get a place just because of pupil premium being in the admissions criteria.

less and less families are eligible for pupil premium because of how the benefits system has changed. This is the entitlement to free school meals which is the main reason children are considered pupil premium/ disadvantaged:
Universal Credit (with an annual household income of £7,400 or less after tax), Income Support, or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

these children being prioritised for grammar schools, when historically they wouldn’t have, is to try and break cycles of poverty and is absolutely about equity in society. Equity doesn’t always mean treating everyone the same

Get a fucking grip of yourself. How many children in care do you think has someone who gives enough of a shit about them or has the means to put them through the tutoring that you need to pass the 11+? I’m not sure you understand how disadvantaged these children already are in life and what a massive difference going to a grammar school will make to them, yet you want your middle class DD to get priority over them. Why should she get priority because she has a sibling? It’s a selective school ffs I have never heard of any of them prioritising those with siblings as it literally would give an advantage to those whose brother or sister was clever enough to get in and now the younger one gets priority. Not how it works.

Honestly, the entitlement.

I imagine PP or state care children do not have the opportunity to recieve hundreds of pounds worth of tutoring for the 11+ like middle class children have.

You're angry that children in care are being given first dibs entry.

Seriously op. Yabu and unpleasant. You're totally blinded by your own privelege and entitlement.

I had sympathy until you started talking about how the other families aren’t ‘normal’ or hardworking. Students in that position will always have to work harder to achieve against the odds. Children from ‘normal hardworking’ families already have a much greater chance of succeeding in life. I think you need to rethink your attitude.

Precisely. I don’t know of any child who has got in to a grammar school without tutoring (or the parent tutoring). Our local grammar school has fewer than 0.5% of students eligible for FSM. Probably similar with care experienced children. I doubt the OP grasps how out of reach grammar school is for anyone who is disadvantaged. It really is unfair and I say that as someone whose child has just passed.

Also at ours they removed the SPAG section for anyone with dyslexia, understandably so, but it’s not quite the incredible feat that the OP makes it out to be.

Oh and none of the grammars near us make any mention of siblings on their admission criteria. Which anyone with half a brain can work out why, given that it’s selective.

OP, why don’t you move to a better catchment area?

There will not be likely any or many who are pupil premium or in care who actually pass.

And many families have one child who is less academic than the other and who will not pass the 11+ as we did.

I'd have loved to have had a good comprehensive nearby who could meet the needs of both DDs. What we had was an excellent grammar school which was great for DD1 and non-selective schools who are ridiculous, draconian and one size fits all who are failing everyone.

Yes surely the number of children getting in based on being in care/on pupil premium will be a small percentage of the total number of places. None of us can know for sure of course, but it does sound like you are panicking unnecessarily.

This is why comprehensive education was introduced.
Where abouts are you that operates this old system

This looks like normal selection criteria to me. If you're relatively close you'll be fine.

It’s not the old system. Plenty of areas in the country have selective grammar schools remaining. Not everyone takes the test - only those who want to get into the selective school.

Not from the UK so unfamiliar with some of it. But I do think people are being harsh on the OP.

What is a normal family?

Bloody pesky kids who are in care or who have poor families - how dare they be given the opportunity to achieve things!
Surely a selective school shouldn’t have any sibling criteria?
Your dc are already at a great advantage merely by having parents who care. FFS just when you think you have read it all on here 🤦🏽‍♀️

There probably won’t be that many in care applying - they will still have had to pass the 11+.

surely if siblings had priority that would also be unfair on those without siblings.

Why would there be a sibling rule?

Having a sibling priority in the criteria wouldn’t make this situation any fairer, but OP has a valid point. Having Pupil Premium as criteria is extremely unfair.

OP ths is just the way it goes in selective systems. I think it's great that disadvantaged children are being prioritised but understand your fears. Sink schools round me are truly awful in many many ways. Academically, I'm sure your daughter will be fine, she had already proven she's clever and can work hard plus she's lucky to have a family able to support academically and with time and money.

YABU.

The numbers of children in care or receiving pupil premium are likely to be small, and even smaller still will be those that have passed the 11+. It is completely right and fair that children in those circumstances are given priority entry assuming they have met the selection standard. What makes you think these children arent as deserving as your DD? Or that having a sibling makes your DD more deserving?