Has anyone decided not to apply for grammar school?

[countrylady]

Our dd is nearly 10 years old and doing very well at local state primary school. Nearest girls grammar is over 2 miles away, but the comprehensive (with above-average GCSE results)is a 3 minute walk away. We're finding it very hard to choose. She's good at art, sport, design etc as well as academic subjects. But she also has outside interests, eg youth club, swimming clubs, would there be time with all the homework at a grammar for these? Anyone else had this dilemma?

robin's absolutely right Tigermoth. A friend's dd has just passed (near the top of several hundred candidates) the entrance exam for a local independent school. She is a bright, lovely girl, not a genius, and had no preparation other than personal motivation, parental support and checking out the formats of the exams beforehand. With no experience in this matter I always assumed that coaching was essential. It can be done! We've known her since she was a babe and we are all so proud of her.

Dear robinw, most of the teachers at our dd's school are young and either don't have any children, or they have babies. One older teacher (aged about 55) sent her dd to the local grammar school, but she left quite a few years ago. I take your point, though.

Angeliz, comprehensives are supposed to take a mixed intake with 20% of each ability level, and a mixed social background. (That is the theory) So in a "good" comp you would have a fifth of your kids from the poorest council estates, a fifth from the "posh" houses, a fifth from your average 3 bed terraces and so on. Similarly you would effectively have 5 ability sets (not corresponding to the social background in a ny way!) from the high flyers to the remedial level.

The other system has grammar & high schools (old secondary modern). The grammar schools take the top 10% (or whatever- I'm not sure of the proportions) on ability only, whether you come from the gypsy caravans or the mansion. You get very academic teaching that is aimed at high flyers.

The high school then takes everyone else, with a less academic style- perhaps with more emphasis on art or sport or drama.

I find the anti-grammar activists here harp on about "failure" when in fact very few kids take the 11+- how can you fail something you haven't done? My 16 yo DS is at High school & doesn't feel a failure- anymore than my other 3 feel more important!!! The point is for each child to receive an education geared to their own level. No-one wants to spend their school career constantly struggling to keep up, but no-one wants to be sat twiddling their thumbs having to wait for the rest of the class either. That's when you get trouble.