In praise of comprehensive schools

[FreshHorizons]

It was cheering to see the Sutton Trust announce that 60% of Team GB medalists came from comprehensive schools.

I have finally come off a thread where certain people can't find a good word to say about comprehensive schools. They equate them with mixed ability teaching, poor behaviour and an inability to stretch bright children.

I would like a thread to celebrate the best of comprehensive education.

In my case it allowed my 3 , very different, children to be able to go to the same school without being judged by outsiders. It meant the stability of knowing one school over a long period of time and them knowing our family. It meant that days off and parent evenings didn't clash and that money was saved by handing down uniform. They were able to move up with the bulk from their primary school. They were able to mix with children of different abilities and backgrounds, as you do in adult life. It meant being able to enjoy education for the joy of learning new things, without the stress of an exam that would determine their path in life, aged only 10 or 11yrs.

Those things didn't really matter, although they were helpful.

What really mattered was that they could all blossom at their own rate.
They all got a good education and are now happily established in careers- the careers that they chose.

It wasn't all about the academic side- there were opportunities in sport, music, outdoor activities etc.

It would be nice to have some success stories. Please don't post about crap schools- start another thread for that if you have grievances you want to air.

It is the summer, the sun is out and some happy, optimistic stories would be nice.

mumtryingherbest So? Did he, or does she live on my road which is no where near Bexley, Crayford, Chislehurst? I doubt it.

Peregrina

On the contrary bringing in grammar schools will make a huge difference for the brightest who are pulled down to ghetto level. We have children who have no choice but to attend these schools that really have been the same for generations.
"If it were good enough for me, then it's good enough for him" is one of the attitudes, not caring if the school is good or not.
There are parents who don't give a stuff about their children and others who care a great deal. These parents have to teach their children when they come home from school as the environment at school is not conducive to learning.
There are other schools that aren't as bad as this and could be described as good and there is one excellent school.
At least let the bright ones have a chance. Of course everyone should have the same access to a good education, but in some areas it means changing a whole ethos and culture which is hard to do and ime not likely to happen in some areas, irrespective of government decisions.

It's fascinating that nobody will name and shame these "ghetto " schools.

There are parents who don't give a stuff about their children

Tell me how those children will get on. Who will be batting for them? Filling in papers for the entrance exams, making sure that they are well prepared - not tutoring, just reading around and being encouraged to be curious about the world around them. Who will make sure that they get a good nights sleep before the exam and a decent breakfast in the morning, so that they go into the exam as well refreshed as they can? Tell me that first.

I'm sure they exist. But it does seem extraordinary that so many mumsnetters live in little clusters round them.

Peregrina

I don't know what you mean? Surely unless the exam was compulsory these children wouldn't be taking the exam My dc wouldn't have taken it either as not bright enough.
Like I said though I know kids who would pass it and have a chance to get out of their current lack of opportunity.

Bert

Why is it strange, I have given you an area to look at if you would like to.
Have a look at Greater Manchester and East Lancashire areas and work your way up.
Then you could compare these to Trafford and South Cheshire
I'm not sure of the other area pp were referring to.
It's not fair to name and shame. One of the schools i refer to has a high percentage of SEN and fsm, somebody on here may love the school as it suits their child. Even ghettos have their pride and salt of the earth attitude towards their own.

Some stats in praise of comps.
From the Chair of the Government's Social Mobility Commission

These are the stats for children on FSM getting 5 good GCSE Grades
Kent: 27%
National Average: 33%
London: 45%

The2Ateam mumtryingherbest So? Did he, or does she live on my road which is no where near Bexley, Crayford, Chislehurst? I doubt it.

Yes she lives on your road

I think Bert needs to tell us exactly where she lives?

https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/green-paper-will-propose-more-grammar-schools-and-further-selection

The2Ateam If you don't live in south east London, or London for that matter, quit preaching. FFS.

I told you my DH did live in SE London. He lived there for many, many years. My MIL still lives there and we visit regularly.

My DH went to school in Erith. I wonder if he went to one of the Ghetto schools your wouldn't touch with a barge pole?

I didn't even know you lived in SE lLondon until you told me I didn't!

If you think that naming a "ghetto school" will pinpoint where you live there can't be very many of them, can there!

I'm sure there isn't, but there are two right near where I live.

Like I said SE London is a big, big place. Erith is practically Kent, and over 7mikes from where I live. Thanks though.

MumTryingHerBest - 2StripedSocks But only 12% are from private preps. Interesting, where did you get the figure for the number of private prep. children gaining places at Grammar Schools?

2StripedSocks BBC news half an hour ago. Ours is much less,it was on a national level.

Interesting given the comment in this article:

The gap between the percentage of state and private school pupils passing the so-called "tutor-proof" test has increased by more than three percentage points. About 20% of local state school pupils now pass compared to 70% of private school pupils. According to the data, a child from a Buckinghamshire private school is now more than three and a half times more likely to pass the 11-plus than a child from one of its state primaries.

Source: www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/16/state-school-pupils-worse-tutor-proof-11-plus-tests

So if there is no exam, how are the children of the most disadvantaged going to be selected for a grammar education? Or do we assume that because the parents are disadvantaged then their children are by definition thick and not worth giving opportunities to?

The2Ateam Like I said SE London is a big, big place. Erith is practically Kent, and over 7mikes from where I live.

My DH didn't live in Erith, he had a 45 minute journey to school.

Excellent mumtryingherbest but not sure why you are telling me this.

From the article linked below by mrz 9it seems they want more faith schools as well as grammars)
"Mr Timothy instead wanted to see more faith groups opening free schools, which would encourage the creation of “multi-racial and multi-religious school chains”.

All the comps I know ARE multi-racial and multi-religious, in terms of their pupil population

Peregrina

This may sound harsh and not what I'd like to say, but the disadvantaged will have as much chance with grammar schools as they do accessing support for GCSE's and A'levels forget it.
of course I'd love to see a change in provision for all, but it ain't going to happen, not here anyway.
We don't have grammars, nor private schools, there's certainly no calling for private.
At least some children will gain the opportunity to gain a good education if we have grammars in all areas. Yes, it's sad that it won't be the disadvantaged by lack of parental support, but great that lack of money won't be a barrier.
I don't think grammars will solve all the ills in education at all, but some areas will gain, and around here there's nothing to lose as anything would be an improvement. I would have loved to have seen some of my dc friends gain places, it wouldn't have altered their provision at all.

The2Ateam Thu 08-Sep-16 20:52:08 Excellent mumtryingherbest but not sure why you are telling me this.

Well if Erith is 15 miles away from where my DH lived your 7 mile journey there would have been a quite reasonable 30 minutes or less I would imagine. Was Erith one of the Ghetto schools you were referring to?

gillybeanz At least some children will gain the opportunity to gain a good education if we have grammars in all areas.

Yes, and likely it will be the very same children who will already have the opportunity to gain a good education even if the system stayed as it was. The Grammar system is simply another case of the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I'm surprised no one has suggested reintroducing work houses yet.

So the advantage of grammars in areas of high deprivation is basically that only the kids DS from the "nicest" local families will get in. You could probably save money by suggesting that the local comprehensive stream by manners.

Actually, I quite like that idea.

One set will consist of children who say "lavatory" and "what". They will have extra lessons lessons in complicated etiquette, public speaking and do rowing and horsey things in PE. Some of them will go to university, but others will get jobs in little boutique shops, or the arts, or running adventure travel companies or become officers in the forces.