How much of a difference is there between top streams in a decent state school and grammar?

[Krakken]

We have some very good state schools in our area and a grammar.
The kids who get into the grammar are really tutored.
I'm going to give the grammar a shot for ds1 but I doubt he'll get in as I haven't tutored from the age of 5, which seems to be the norm around here.
But how much of a difference is it actually?
Fwiw, I went to grammar and was in the bottom streams which didn't do much for my confidence at the time.

My dd1 is at a grammar (lone grammar in comp area, not selective area). She got 8 A, 3A and a B for GCSE. About a quarter of her year got 10/11/12 A.

Dd2 is at a good comp in leafy area. She got 9As and 3As for GCSE, which was possibly the highest set of results in her year (there are one or two people who might have got similar results that she doesn't know about, a few people got 4/5/6 As). I'm sure that if she had been at dd1's school she would have done even better, simply because e.g. the classes get through the syllabus more quickly and have more time for decent revision.

So, yes, I do think there's a difference, but of course that difference may be larger or smaller depending on the schools you're comparing.

wordfactory
DD did worse than many of her friends
(a) becausse they happen to be shit hot bright
(b) because we are awaiting re-marks on the two b grades

DCs school is (as many good comps are) a haven for university faculty kids
the top of the top is very high
her marks were fab and the college welcomed her with open arms
the kids who did better than her made total sense and I was delighted for the lot of them

I see.

Sorry you gave the impression that it was disappointing. I wondered if she hadn't done as well as she was predicted and if there was a reason

Also I recalled a recent thread where some said lots of kids get all A *s and you said that that wasn't true and that it wasnt the case amongst your DDs peers.

word
if the re-marks go to plan she will have 13 A/A : and join the other 40 at the school who have straight A/A
not bad for a comp with 300 per year

the old fashioned bit of me is against re-marks : then I see the paper marks and hear about re-marks regraded due to adding errors and know its the right thing to do
(also, some of the ladies on my debt threads did marking this summer : erratic results were a given after the pay / stress they were permitted)

Fair dos.

Though I'm a little dubious at schools collating their A*s and As as if they're the same.

One A and nine As doesnt trump nine As and a B .

Op, my nephews went to Grammar schools (super selective in West London with own thread re tutors, and super selective in Birmingham)
All supposedly without tutoring, just "familiarisation"
Both my DS went to the local (outstanding) comp (Wiltshire)
All 5 boys interested in maths/science
They have all finished now, & in terms of results, there is v little difference for 4 of them, 1 nephew performed poorly
My DS has the best (highest) A2 results. Other 2 nephews did v slightly better at GCSE (difference of 1 GCSE at A/A* over 11 GCSEs)
So I would say on purely anecdotal terms, there has been little difference.
There were some other differences through the schooling, eg in 6th form Comp put on 6th form written & produced panto at Xmas whereas Grammar put on an orchestral piece
( not better, just different)

I went to grammar, I don't know anyone there who was tutored.

Friends children now attend the same grammar and none tutored.

Every grammar I know in that area is excellent with great mixture of subjects ( most music specialist/ gold for the arts etc), as well as high in maths and science. The average this year was 100% getting a pass a gcse with 95% in top 2% of country. 100% pass at a level with 98% getting a/a*.
At gcse level you have to do at least one language and two arts ( music/ art/ drama/etc). Everyone does 12 gcses and 4/5 a levels

In comparison the local comp have around 40% pass rate. 7 gcses on average taken, 3 alevels

Thanks for everyone's input.
We ll give it a go but I don't think we'll be too upset if ds has to attend the local state school.