Grammar Schools

[Nelly1727]

Hi, I have just moved to an area where there is a Grammar school system. I am not a fan of selective education as feel that all should get the same quality of education and opportunities. However, obviously want the best for my kids.
From the research I have done the local non grammar schools however do not have the best reputations. My son is only about to go into Year 4 so we haven't looked around any yet (we obviously will at the time)
I feel the 11+ is a lot of pressure for 10 year olds. I know children in the local area who are tutored up to 5 evenings a week. I do not want this pressure for my kids and certainly don't want them having to give up their extra curricular activities which they love so that there is also time for tutoring.
Does anyone have experience of Grammar vs local secondary. Is it worth the pressure of the 11+? Any advice, experiences you are willing to share would be appreciated. We will obviously go and look round al options at the time and make our decisions but I am just interested in whether anyone is willing to share their experiences. Thanks

Depends where you are and which system.

We lived in Kent but East of the county, rather than where the super selectives are. With my DC I bought the practice papers from WH Smith during Y5 and they just got used to the format of the test (not having done any before would put a child at serious disadvantage).

One we didn't enter; the others passed. If a child needs a lot of tutoring to pass the test then they aren't actually suited to a grammar and won't keep up. Ours didn't seem pressured at all at any stage of the process. The one that didn't go to grammar was consistently top of his school, so got all the G&T opportunities and came out with really good GCSEs, then went to the grammar for 6th form.

We've now moved to a non grammar area, and selection is done on postcode ie bank balance. All the best schools are in areas where we'd struggle to afford a shed.

Just because other people tutor intensively doesn't mean you have to.

If you're in a grammar school county they'll sit the 11+ at school.

I wouldn't Tutor intensively but do a few of the 10 minute papers before the exam and see how it goes.

That's what I did and DS got in. So did his friend with a similar amount of tutoring.

The grammar school is much better than the comp but not because of the academics but because the music / drama /art dept is better. Because of how involved the parents are.....

11+ was a piece of piss compared to the stress of doing y6 SATs.
At least you are in control of how you choose to prepare your child (or not) for the 11+.

If you're in a grammar school county they'll sit the 11+ at school.

Do please check what happens in your own county as this is not universally true.

My DC are in grammars schools, happy and thriving. The local comps are awful

We're in an opt-in Grammar system. DC often get a tutor once a week during Y5 only. Some do practice with parents.

At my DC's primary about 50% got into one or other Grammar. Same as at another local school that I used to work at.

The Grammar schools are great, and here the local comps as they're referred to, or secondary moderns as MNetters call them, are also great.

I've never heard of 5 nights tutoring a week!

Grammar Schools have a catchment or not. With a catchment a 'top table' child has a decent chance, each local primary will send a few children. Non catchment aka superselective a child needs to be scoring very highly to get a place as children travel miles.

Our one has a catchment and GL exams in maths/english and vr. Never heard of tutoring before yr 5. Most do practice papers summer before exam.

Have a look at the school at the next open evening it's honestly not to early. No point prepping if you or dc dislike it. Eleven plus exams.co.uk forum has info for all the different areas, the tests vary a lot.

If you're in a grammar school county they'll sit the 11+ at school

Untrue for us too even though we have a catchment grammar. We have 4 grammars in the county, not a full grammar/sec modern area so it is opt in.

We're in an area with a handful of super-selectives. I've heard of plenty of children having tutoring five times a week! I know children in Y2 that have tutors (once or twice a week), and children that had hours every day over the summer before the tests.
It does go on.

Visit the schools early and decide. DD loved one particular grammar (a superselective) and that motivated her for practice. She did one hour a week at home from Y5 - sometimes in one block, sometimes a couple of half hour blocks. She actually enjoyed it. No tutor. This was backed up with regular reading, conversation and maths on the go. The alternatives for us would mean a long journey, the grammar also happened to be our closest school.