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.

PPs have suggested Devon, Penrith, Yorkshire, Bucks and Lincolnshire - OP would you really consider moving to any/all of these places for a grammar school place?

Would you not be better identifying where you would like to live and then looking into schools in that area?

I'll throw in Altrincham, South of Manchester.

There are single sex grammars in Altrincham and a coed grammar in Sale and also sought after non selective school Wellington.

It's on the edge of the conurbation, on the tram to Manchester and near the airport.

House prices are high but nowhere near London prices.

Sorry. Definitely catchment areas for Alti and Sale grammars though. They're selective, not super selective.

@Schoolchoicesucks yes I would consider moving for our dc education and moving anywhere, I'd rather have a house than school fees though that's the only thing I do know.
I do want to live somewhere nice ie I don't want to live somewhere that everyone knows is awful just for a school, even if it is amazing. And I have to afford a house. I really want a house with a reasonable garden, I don't want to have to pay £££ for a tiny little house. I'm done with the tiny house living scenario.

School fees are also considered for a mortgage so all in all I can't see an independent secondary school happening anyway.

@ErrolTheDragon there are other grammar schools in Lancashire other than LRGS and the associated girls school, that are nowhere near the A6. They also have the added bonus of being mixed sex, if that is anybody's preference.

The other 2, on their open day speeches say that in theory, if you score high enough but live at the other end of the country, you could still be offered a place. In theory, it's not something anybody in their right mind would do.

Kendrick in Reading has no catchment. However, the cost of living is still high in Reading.

Colyton might be the best combination of non-catchment grammar and area with reasonable living costs.

Sorry just noticed that I wrote 08 in first post! Meant 2018. Timescale makes no sense otherwise

Grantham wouldn't necessarily be a town I'd want to live in, but I think it might work well for you. It has a both a girls' and a boys' grammar school, and if you rent initially close to what I still think of as Walton Girls School - the extremely good secondary mod - you have a good fallback.

House prices are cheap, but it's well connected by road and rail which might be useful as you are restarting after a covid crunch.

[quote hippoplotimus]@Schoolchoicesucks yes I would consider moving for our dc education and moving anywhere, I'd rather have a house than school fees though that's the only thing I do know.
I do want to live somewhere nice ie I don't want to live somewhere that everyone knows is awful just for a school, even if it is amazing. And I have to afford a house. I really want a house with a reasonable garden, I don't want to have to pay £££ for a tiny little house. I'm done with the tiny house living scenario.

School fees are also considered for a mortgage so all in all I can't see an independent secondary school happening anyway.[/quote]
In that case, doesn't it make more sense to move into the catchment of an excellent comprehensive, with non-catchment grammars within commuting distance?

You need the Good Schools Guide, I think.

But most grammars don't have a catchment, while most excellent comprehensives do have a de facto catchment, so it would seem to make sense to start from that point.

And also a realistic assessment of what you're looking fo in a move.

You see, you could do the 'comprehensive and/or grammar' in London. Lots of people do. But I think you really - deep down - want to move out of London.

And a bit of you is not really confronting that. So you seem to be treating the school choice thing as a way of handing over your decision about moving to Fate.

I don't think you can do that. There are lots of grammars without catchments in the U.K. - bug you can't have your daughter sitting tens of tests in order to then decide where to move.

It's not realistic.

Honestly, you have lots of options. In the nicest way possible, can I suggest you sit down with a piece of paper, you list what you think are the challenges you're facing, what your ideal solutions might be, what your main priorities are, and then have a look at school options.

The U.K. is a big and varied place. If you're really considering a major move, you are free to really think about what you will want, what will really enrich your life.

Once you've narrowed that down, there really will be room to look at the educational side of things within that narrower remit.

And the Good School Guide is very helpful.

(As is Mumsnet.)

[quote NiceTwin]@ErrolTheDragon there are other grammar schools in Lancashire other than LRGS and the associated girls school, that are nowhere near the A6. They also have the added bonus of being mixed sex, if that is anybody's preference.

The other 2, on their open day speeches say that in theory, if you score high enough but live at the other end of the country, you could still be offered a place. In theory, it's not something anybody in their right mind would do.[/quote]
I’m not sure LGGS would like to be described as the mere ‘associated girls school’

My info on the others may be out of date, from when some of DDs classmates were applying to clitheroe. (Lovely town apart from the cement works, massive rural catchment I believe).
Afaik it’s probably still the case that the Lancashire grammars have their test on the same day so you can’t apply to more than one of them.

@Seaglad I’ve lived in five different counties in the UK and find Lincs really dull and moving again in 18 months, but of course not everyone will.

My daughter travels an hour each way to her Lincs grammar school.

@ginandronicformeplease I thought Sleaford Grammar was a falling school? It’s quite far down the results tables.

@hippoplotimus it also has a good Comp called LSST and from Lincs/Newark you can get fast trains to London.

OP
What happens if your child does not get into the grammar school?
What are your options?
Hence why high performing Comps are a really good alternative.

This school
fulford.york.sch.uk/
operates a catchment with houses like this in it
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/96508136#/

Not Sleaford, Skegness.

@ErrolTheDragon BRGS and CRGS sat on different dates to the Lancaster Grammars for the last couple of years but have this year gone back to the same date, along with SGHS.
I do agree they should be on the same date. I think people need to post their colours to the mast and stick to that, rather than casting their net in hope.

I didn't mean to offend saying LGGS was associated with LBGS 🤷🏻‍♀️.

You didn't, hence the

As a previous poster says there is no distance criteria if you are in the Top 180 scorers for the Bexley Grammars. There are some lovely areas to live near those schools (Chislehurst, Sidcup, Bromley) but you are still within Zone 4/5 to London with frequent trains. Newstead Wood girls school (Bromley Borough) has a 9 mile radius for offers - I think there is a small window to move between results day and application submission. There are usually 5000+ children sitting the Bexley test though so prep is needed even for the brightest kids to get a Top 180 score.

Winchester always strikes me as a great place to live with fantastic schools without the 11+ angst.

The elevenplusexams forum is worth a look.

Lightsabre
Winchester is indeed a very good option

Kings / Henry Beaufort / Westgate / Perrins
followed by Symonds

and for the price of something teeny in London, one can afford this
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77314374#/

Great, I will write down all the names on here and investigate. I am also going to include the comps.
5000+ applicants sounds quite scary.
I've also found some independent schools which are actually cheaper than current prep fees so I may not have to write off private altogether but have to look into these too although I would like to ideally not pay fees given the shaky future. We are very very lucky we always said we had to have the money to finish prep in the bank so at least that's sorted.

Dd is being prepared for 11+ now and her school does CE prep for the independents so that's helpful. I'm also working through the bond books etc.

Is there anything extra to prepare for in the super selectives? I noticed one school has two rounds of assessments so if you pass the initial stage you go back for test two.

Hippo
You are looking at this upside down.
You live in London. COVID has bollocksed stuff up, but you have to think about the things that make life nice

• beyond work
• beyond driving DD to school

Pick a city where you will enjoy living over the next 7 years as COVID goes into history
-restaurants

• arts
• transport
• open space

THEN choose the schools

otherwise you may find yourselves living somewhere you hate
when she swans off to Uni

Nearly all, ime, the children who get into the super selectives have tuition. Getting used to doing the test at speed and the particular format is important. Lots of tutors do mock exams, and these are really useful.

I'm afraid the Bond books won't cut it for the super selectives or if you need a very high score. For preparation, the elevenplusexams website is a good starting point for Grammars and independents.

There are some good grammars in Birmingham

@Lightsabre

I'm afraid the Bond books won't cut it for the super selectives or if you need a very high score. For preparation, the elevenplusexams website is a good starting point for Grammars and independents.

I bought a Letts practice tests book for DS and left him to it. Gloucestershire grammar but not Pate's.

@ListeningQuietly

Hippo You are looking at this upside down. You live in London. COVID has bollocksed stuff up, but you have to think about the things that make life nice

• beyond work
• beyond driving DD to school

Pick a city where you will enjoy living over the next 7 years as COVID goes into history
-restaurants

• arts
• transport
• open space

THEN choose the schools

otherwise you may find yourselves living somewhere you hate
when she swans off to Uni

This ☝🏻

You actually have to live where you move to and like it.

You’re assuming DH can work from home - what if he needs to be in once a week, Lancashire’s a long commute!

Grammar school isn’t the be all and end all

Sutton Borough has 2 girls grammars. When you say cheaper than London are you basing that on more central locations. One is based in Cheam so if you pick area right you are also not too far from Tiffin in Kingston. Nonsuch takes first 90 ish of places any location. Not sure on Tiffin.

Also has some good comps although you need to pick area.