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.

Of course you can post what you like but I think it quite horrible to come on expressly because you have an issue with comprehensive schools and no matter what lovely stories people post you will nitpick your way through being negative, negative, negative.

Talkin Liverpool and Knowsley have no good comprehensive schools.

I actually quoted the Sutton Trust ( beloved by grammar school supporters when they agree) and they celebrated it- they tweeted it to get to a wide audience.

Just a quick point out; hockey player Sam Quek went to a fee paying school and then a boys' grammar.

Actually Knowlsley has no Sixth Form provision to enable A levels.

That is the fault of the 'toooooriessss' .

you still hear that kind of sentiment from the officials refusing to accept the reason Knowsley has no sixth form provision.

However, rather 'weirdly' for such a 'socialist' state ,( how did that survive excution ?) Liverpool have one of the best Grammar Schools in the Country Blue Coat.

Thank god Children in Liverpool have at least one shining beacon in state education.

An Olympian went to the school I teach in. Comp, currently in Special Measures. I started the year before he left, so can't claim any credit.

However, we do have an ex-student on the GB Netball team (not an Olympic sport, I know, but she is currently touring Australia with them) I don't teach PE, but our PE team can very much take credit for her success - the Head of PE spotted her talent early on in school, and would pick her up for weekend matches when her mum wasn't able to do so. She does not have a privileged background in any way. She moved at 16 to study sport full time, again, with the pushing of our head of PE - her mum wanted her to leave school and get a job.

I teach drama. Two of my 6th form boys are performing in the West End this autumn. I'm taking credit for that - they hadn't heard of the National Youth Theatre/ National Youth Music Theatre before I told them about it.

I have taught in 3 comprehensive schools, and all of them have had a smattering of amazing teachers who will go the extra mile for their students because they know who does and who does not have parents willing or able to supply them with the opportunity to develop and grow.

ww.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/academy-sixth-form-closure-suggests-11229969

They were not retweeting - they tweeted it- quite different.
They are also supporting private school opening their sporting facilities for public use so that promising comprehensive pupils could take advantage of them. They see the obvious- that if 90% of pupils go to a comprehensive we are missing an awful lot of talent if they can't get the facilities that some private schools can afford.

I really don't want to get into an argument about what the Sutton Trust say, because there are parts you have ignored.

I came off the grammar school thread because it was going around in circles and getting nowhere.

I think we have established - loud and clear 2stripedsocks that you haven't a good word to say about comprehensive schools therefore, although of course you can post where you like, I can't see why you are on a thread praising them.

I can only hope that while you witter away we can have some new people come on with something positive to say.

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/academy-sixth-form-closure-suggests-11229969

My spelling went a bit hay wire there...

I think the fact that 60% of medal winners went to comprehensives - a huge increase from 2012- is a wonderful success story and it is just mean spirited not to see it as a cause for celebration.

My DDs had a current Olympic Athlete at their private school - on a sports scholarship as many are! Did she train at school? No. She went to the local athletics club where her Dad was a coach. Most children join relevant clubs. Swimming, pony club, athletics, gymnastics, football, rugby, canoeing, etc. Very few schools could ever teach to Olympic standard. It requires specialised coaches not p e teachers. As we know, coaching is key. Being recognised as promising is also very important and there does need to be some improvement in that because only supportive parents may notice their child has talent. PE teachers do have a role in talent spotting.

Therefore school can be irrelevant or very important depending on the background of the child and the sports played at the school. Children thrive where they are happy but Tom Daley transferred to Brighton College from his comp because he was bullied. I would imagine he got a sports scholarship too.

As I posted earlier, celebrating any school has to be earned.

Balcarras is perfect example of a comp that goes up and down with its intake. The other comps in the area are also very good, but people pay a fortune to live in the Balcarras catchment area on the back of its current reputation. Which is bonkers, in my view.

A top of my head list of successful people who went to comps:

10 members of the current cabinet, Steve McQueen (Turner Prize and Oscar winner) Ben Whishaw, Rufus Norris (director of the National Theatre) Sadiq Khan (London Mayor), Zadie Smith, Zoah Hedges-Stocks (first Traveller to go to Cambridge). None of these people succeeded because of their schools of course..... only the grammar school educated do that!!

The percentage of MPs being educated at comps is rising as the years pass and fewer are old enough to be educated at grammars:

schoolsweek.co.uk/far-more-new-mps-went-to-comprehensive-schools-than-those-re-elected/

Jessica Ennis Hill found her comprehensive very supportive if you read this

Balcarass is outstanding at the moment. Chosen Hill went from outstanding to RI in one fell swoop. Which just goes to show. OFSTED grades aren't everything.

Hang on. " Only Good"?

One of the questions that is rarely answered in here is what people mean by a "failing school". They don't by any chance, mean any school which is not a grammar and not "outstanding" do they?