Grammars with no catchment

[hippoplotimus]

Covid has pretty much stuffed our family in a rather special way financially. The secondary private we had planned for our dd has swiftly gone out of the window.

We can move anywhere so are now considering grammars. Are there any without a catchment area that would enable to us to move if dd got a place rather than moving for a school and it all goes wrong.
Obviously I hope that would not be the case but I do like to plan. We are buying a place after renting so it will be quite a permanent move.

Do you have any restrictions on area?
I live in West Yorkshire. Nearish to Halifax. There are 2 good grammar schools in Calderdale. A further fee paying one ( Hipperholme) and a very good fee paying (I think) in Bradford. Another v good school (not sure if grammar) in Skipton (North Yorkshire).
The Calderdale ones are very competitive though, your DD would have to pass 11+ but it does take from a wide catchment. There's another smaller grammar at Bacup ( Lance) but I think that has a limit on how many out of catchment pupils it takes. But is sometimes a back up choice for those not getting into Calderdale schools (which have a joint 11+ exam)
Leeds I think also has a competitive grammar but I don't know anything about it.

So what is your Plan B (if she doesn't pass the 11+)? Do you have a good school locally that you are happy for her to go to?

Otherwise, wouldn't you just be better moving to an area that has good schools full stop, rather than focussing on grammar?

My DD is at a grammar and it's not perfect by any means.
The teaching is good and she's turning in good results, but the facilities aren't great. Sports are a bit patchy and there are still the same issues as in non-grammars of poor and disruptive behaviour. Casual sexism is rife.

I'm sorry you're having a hard time and I hope things improve.

However, this is a really weird focus. Why would you want to pick a grammar out of a hat over and above finding a nice school that suits your child? Why is the acedemoc selection criteria the most important element of a school?

If you're genuinely considering a kvoe anywhere in the country then there are criteria a million times more important imo and thinks like community, sports, arts etc are surely v important too?

(I personally disagree with academically and socially selective school (coming from a background of private education) and feel strongly that for children to succeed there are much more important factors than hand picking their class mates.)

Take a deep breath and think what your main aim is and then go from there.

Some have a wide catchment, some have a catchment plus residual places but I've never heard of anywhere giving a place to someone who wasn't already living within a feasible travelling distance.

@ErrolTheDragon some are super selective ie without catchment. Colyton in East Devon is definitely

I wouldn’t focus on Grammar exclusively but look at places with good schools generally and a variety of choice for 6th form, looking at that at a separate decision when the time comes.

Grammars all well and good but don’t suit all. DS looked at both our local ones for 6th form and really didn’t like either, he hated one to quote him which is really pretty strong stuff from him as is the master of understatement. On paper he would be what is considered ‘Grammar material’ but not his cup of tea and I know other DC who decided not to go when had places and have never regretted it.

Not saying they aren’t good for some but don’t focus on them to the exclusion of other good schools.

Would you be best off in a county where all the schools are grammar/secondary modern, like Buckinghamshire and Kent?

Then provided that the 11+ is passed, the child is guaranteed a place at a grammar and you will have a choice (at least in theory) over which school.

I assume that they are also easier to get into than the isolated super-selectives!

Thanks all. Back up plan is buy a smaller house and send dd to at least an ok private school hence the reluctance to 'bet' buying a house in grammar area.
Dd gets on with everyone, is confident and I really think she'd be ok wherever she went so unless I read something awful about a schools pastoral care I'm willing to throw her in the school and go for it. I prefer grammar because I went to one. I've moved too far from that one and don't really want to move back to my old town.
I will look into grammar areas sounds interesting.

@Beamur

Do you have any restrictions on area? I live in West Yorkshire. Nearish to Halifax. There are 2 good grammar schools in Calderdale. A further fee paying one ( Hipperholme) and a very good fee paying (I think) in Bradford. Another v good school (not sure if grammar) in Skipton (North Yorkshire). The Calderdale ones are very competitive though, your DD would have to pass 11+ but it does take from a wide catchment. There's another smaller grammar at Bacup ( Lance) but I think that has a limit on how many out of catchment pupils it takes. But is sometimes a back up choice for those not getting into Calderdale schools (which have a joint 11+ exam) Leeds I think also has a competitive grammar but I don't know anything about it.

Hello Neighbour (ish) The Halifax Grammars do take distance into consideration, dc scoring the same will be ranked on distance to the school as well as age weighting so unless a child was really near the top (and July born) then living miles away would be a major disadvantage. Do you live in London? Both my DC are at Private school for around £10k pa each and of course houses etc are so much cheaper up here. With all the wfh now wages can be comparable too, both me and DH earn the same as we would in London but we couldn’t afford our house, Private schooling for 2 etc down there

You need to check very carefully the admissions criteria for the Bucks grammar schools as some of them say you must have been at your current address for more than two years prior - to stop people chancing getting a place and then moving to the area last minute.

Also, the last admitted distances for the most popular ones are tiny - even though the schools have large official catchment areas.

There are some great state schools about these days, including single sex, though if you can be truly flexible about where to live. Don’t discount them outright for fear that only a grammar or independent will do. It’s hard right now as you can’t visit but, Google schools like Grey Coat Hospital, St George’s Harpenden or Dame Alice Owens in Potters Bar. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

[quote NoddyHoldersCrazee]@ErrolTheDragon some are super selective ie without catchment. Colyton in East Devon is definitely[/quote]
I'm mildly curious how that works in practice. Do parents from all over the country really put their kids in for the Colyton 11+ and then move if necessary?
The numbers are such that presumably the kids must be super bright with massive competition so it wouldn't be any sort of reliable strategy.

Gloucestershire has some good non catchment area grammars and some good state schools. Pates (the local super selective) has students from all over the place. Some come in by train from Swindon/Bristol/Chepstow etc.

[quote NoddyHoldersCrazee]@ErrolTheDragon some are super selective ie without catchment. Colyton in East Devon is definitely[/quote]
Was going to say Colyton. She'd have to be bloody clever though and where would you live?!

Do parents from all over the country really put their kids in for the Colyton 11+ and then move if necessary?

Yes.

If a kid is so outstandingly clever that they're likely to get a place at a no-catchment GS, would there be any scope for looking for scholarships at independent schools?

Also there's no real sport at Colyton

Or just move to an area with Fab Comps and remove all the stress ?

Winchester tends to spring to mind

The Wirral is still a grammar area - we have 2 non Catholic girls grammars and a Catholic girls grammar here. Catchment is wide and extends out to North Wales, Warrington etc. In the last few years (according to the info online) everyone who passed the exam got a place, but if there are more passes than places then distance is taken into account.

@Hoppinggreen that is really our situation, can't afford to 'live' anymore. Moving out of London makes the most sense now. Dh could probably negotiate wfh ft so I am exploring anywhere now.
I can't see my industry recovering and so need to plan around earning less.
A cheaper area makes the most sense. I will try to stop the personal bias on grammar schools. Mine did change my life though and I want dd to have the aspirations I left with as a result of a positive, intelligent cohort,

I know they're not perfect but I had an awful time in primary being the 'smart' kid and I do worry if I get it I'll end up leaving dd in that position. But I know I do need to consider other schools though.

If you are able to leave London you will find a much better lifestyle for much less money.
I appreciate everyone can or wants to move North but I would recommend it. You can get a nice 4 bed house here in a good area with good Primary schools for £250-300k and while it’s not London we are in reach of major cosmopolitan cities too

Penrith has Queen Elizabeth Grammar (QEGS) - I'm aware of families who have applied while living well out of catchment and then moving in when offered a place.

Nice and affordable area, but a lot of local debate as to whether the adjacent comprehensive offers a better education overall!

Gloucestershire grammar schools have no catchment- there are also good non selective schools in Cheltenham so you could move into the catchment of one of those so then you would have a good back up if your daughter doesn't get into grammar school.
Balcarass is a very high performing non selective school in Cheltenham. The catchment area is very expensive but will probably seem cheap compared to London!

Not Grammar, but have a look at York

• lovely city
• good schools
• fast train to London if needed
• MUCH cheaper than the south

(also known as Winchester North)

I'm not sure about offering a place before you move, I suspect that's unlikely where I live but that information should be on the Bucks CC admissions pages. But in Chorleywood (Herts/outer Met Line) you're in catchment for St Clement Danes which is an oversubscribed (non grammar) school.

As far as girls are concerned, Dr Challoner's High School (grammar) sometimes take kids out of the catchment area and, if they do, Chorleywood is one of the nearest places that isn't in Bucks (when I went to DCHS, our side of CW was in Bucks). The boys school doesn't take out of catchment though.

Chesham Grammar (mixed) has also historically taken out of catchment and I know several kids from CW that have gone there in the last few years. There's also plenty of private schools.

However, house prices are expensive, the traffic congestion is depressing and, with the planned developments, will get worse.