11+ being scrapped

[musu]

At one school in Essex here

Interesting development which follows on from Bucks CC overhauling their 11+ and trying to make it tutor proof (although everyone I know in Bucks is still employing tutors).

I rathe like the idea of a stealth outreach programme. Like that guy on Dad's Army selling black market watches- "psst- want any Bond Books? clear pencil cases? HB pencils?"

Pate's is in a prime position geographically to launch the programme it did, with an urban area of deprivation on it's doorstep and a notably affluent hinterland, as slipshod says.

Cecily you're not being dim but that isn't quite the model being used. It's more about the grammars going out to selected primaries and giving lessons to spark an interest in maths or science or bringing certain groups of kids in from primaries to do a series of lessons and activities at the school. Sixth formers are always involved and very keen to be involved. DS1 went out one afternoon a week with the physics teacher and the kids he did stuff with loved it. He did chemistry and biology and maths days too. DS2 does sports activities with local kids at the school most Friday afternoons. Getting kids into the school or connected with current pupils at the school who encourage them is really important. There are other things going on too, all the time, but it's not about publicity per se.

seeker you're being patronising and not hugely funny. There are people working really hard to attract bright less privileged kids in. I've read you sneer at the Oxford and Cambridge initiatives too. It's an uphill struggle indeed for those hard working principled people who have to combat the propaganda rehearsed over and over by people like you.

Oh, for crying out loud. Did you notice my support of proper outreach programmes? No. You picked on a mild joke and used it as an opportunity to throw more inaccurate crap at me. I don't throw crap- however much I get.

I have never sneered. If I have been patronising it has been unintentional. Do me the courtesy of accepting that I believe what I say, have useful things to bring to the discussion and actually want to make things better.

Propaganda? A 9.6% gap in FSM between the cohort in a grammar school and its surrounding area is propaganda?????

Bonsoir, my extended family live in Kent. As does one of my colleagues. Some bits of Kent are terribly served by both roads and trains. I think you are falling into Seeker's trap of extrapolating what you know to the bits of the county you don't know.

As I said above, for our local superselective, that gap is closer to 40% than 9.6%....

Which bits are "terribly served"? Kent is a densely populated county that I go all over regularly by car, train and in a private plane and it is incredibly easy to navigate. And DC have been traveling to school in Kent for years now.

Seeker
I thought your joke was funny

I wonder what you in your armchair wisdom would consider 'proper' then seeker? Of course much more could be done if schools weren't constrained by the Admissions Code and could contextualise scores in the way that universities now do or even interview. 'Proper' indeed! But then I do find it difficult to take seriously someone who so rails against grammar education but doesn't shift out of the county and refuses to accept the verdict when a child is refused. I prefer to see principles acted upon.

Terrific joke Greythorne if you ignore the fact that seeker sits on her MN throne pontificating and has the gall to diss those who spend time and energy trying to get kids who might not otherwise take the test to do just that. Someone needs to enthuse those kids. But yes, very witty indeed other than that.

Yellowtip well said. Seeker seems to spend a lot of time on threads like this without adding anything helpful to the debate.

Come on, I know seeker can fend perfectly well for herself but this is getting terribly personal.

I disagree that there's anything personal about saying that a joke about access initiatives should only properly come from someone who actually understands them, understands their importance, understands the political climate and statutory constrictions in which they operate and hasn't sold out personally herself. That's not in any way below the belt, it's completely to the point and fair.

Which bits are "terribly served"? Kent is a densely populated county that I go all over regularly by car, train and in a private plane and it is incredibly easy to navigate. And DC have been traveling to school in Kent for years now.

Try to access Sissinghurst on public transport - one bus an hour - hard to believe that somewhere that looks so near London on the map can be quite so remote. I am sure it can't be the only part of Kent with this problem.

Ha ha ha!!! My parents live right bang next to Sissinghurst - it is hardly remote! There are loads of DC all around there - it is prime family commuter territory (Cranbrook School catchment, lots of great state primaries and some excellent preps like Dulwich, Marlborough House, St Ronan's on your doorstep) and lots of thriving local business.

I am sure it is prime communter territory for the driver; hopeless for those reliant on public transport.

Children take the school bus CecilyP. As I used to.

In fact, my aunt used to take the school bus to GS in the 1950s... they've been around a very long time .

Bonsoir. Since Seeker hates grammar schools so much,because they are so mc, what her view of " THE STATELY" home with 480 "GELS" 5 miles from your parents is i dread to think.

Benenden School is an über trad girls' boarding school (in fact, my other paternal aunt, the one who didn't go to the GS, went there... in the 1940s). Just another example of the huge range of choice of schools in Kent.

Er... What? Kent is great because you can always choose to go to Benenden if you don't get into grammar? I'm not seeing the point here.

a joke about access initiatives should only properly come from someone who actually understands them, understands their importance, understands the political climate and statutory constrictions in which they operate and hasn't sold out personally herself

Worst definition of comedy ever....

I Believe they give 20% Bursaries to 11 plus Failures.

It was hardly intended as a definition. Also, it depends if you enjoy dim comedy or not TOSN. I'm not sure there's much comedy to issue from champagne socialists in any event. Too much sanctimosity for that, I'd have thought.

I'll take your word for that!