Who saw BBC 2 Grammar schools - who will get in " last night?

[Foxy333]

Watched this last night with interest. We're not in Grammar school area and generally I think it was / is a bad system that works for the top abilities but not for the middle and lower ones. However I've seen my daughter suffer in years 7 to 9 or a comprehensive from not being stretched and teachers concentrating on the most demanding pupils who need lots of help and ignoring the quiet well- behaved pupils who going to pass GCSE's anyway. Often some pupils disrupt the class and the whole class gets punished.

They only set them for 2 subjects and I've heard that's changing in future to one. so I see why a Grammar would suit some. But why cant all schools be good. Is it stricter discipline that's needed?

Felt for the children in the program, so young to face this divisive test.

I grew up in a town in rural wales with 2 "comprehensive" schools, one welsh language medium, one english language medium. I now live in an area with super-selective grammars. I found this program very interesting both because it made me think about my sons' futures (although I feel I'd like to homeschool probably).

I think the whole debate about grammar schools is so emotive though because most of us went to school and had some kind of experience there good or bad. I had a terrible experience at my school - but I wouldn't tar all comprehensive or all welsh language medium schools with the same brush. A lot of insecurities come up with these kind of discussions though, my experience in school ultimately resulted (entirely through my own fault) in my getting a very poor set of results. And I WANT to blame the school, I am chomping at the bit to blame the school, my parents, the fact I couldn't speak welsh - heck even my laziness (which if I am honest combined with my idiotic "rebel without a cause" shtick as a teenager may have been the real culprit) - because of the fear, the deep seated internalised fear that it's because I was stupid. That all the grades and tests and every stupid hoop we jump through to prove ourselves "qualified" to employers actually says more than that, says something deep-seated about our worth and value and even ability.

A lot of people talk about kids and parents who don't "value education" and how they ruin it for others - but we shouldn't forget the kids and parents who overvalue education. Who think that 4 A's at A level doesn't just mean you learned a particular body of knowledge or developed a particular set of skills and applied them in one particular way - but means something about who you are and as such are desperately terrified that they or their children will fall short and not measure up, not because of future career prospects (you can make up for a bad start at any time if you have the cojones), but because of an insecurity we all share that we're not good enough or smart enough or dedicated enough or with it enough to be a worthwhile person.

While that insecurity drives the debate it simply cannot be had in a rational way.

I know this is an old thread, but putting out a few feelers here. I'm doing some research for my doctorate ( in educational and child psychology) around pupils in grammar schools (who took 11+) eligible for free school meals. I was a free school meal grammar pupil and keen to get the perspectives of current pupils and also others, like myself, who have left school now but were once pupils who fit this criteria. If anyone would be interested in being involved in the research, either because your child fits the bill or you do, it would be lovely to hear from you. Equally if you just want to find out more about what the heck I'm doing I'm very happy to talk about it! Have a lovely day all