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[mummyloveslucy]

Hi is it true that children at private primary schools are more likely to pass their 11+ and go to grammar school than children at state school?
I've heared people talking about using a private primary school to "get them through the 11+". Wouldn't it be cheeper to have a private tutor to coach them when the time comes?

Around here the independent boys schools take into account the discrepancy between state and private prep - allegedly there are different pass rates...

You worrying about any potential future ds again?

I know, tellusmater you can tell there isn't much on the telly can't you ?

It must be true at some grammars at least. There was an article in the news last week where they'd found that the 10 grammar schools with the highest level of recruitment of pupils from non-state schools took over one third of their pupils from these types of institutions. I doubt they are in areas where a third of the population go to private schools though.

On the tutoring thing, yes it would be cheaper - but against that it takes up some of your childs free time.

I've worked in two grammars, and the vast majority of pupils came from good/sound state primaries. A handful, 5 or 6, this year have been at private. I would say a far greater proportion are coached.

Whereabouts, Heated? Just a county name, pls!

I went to a grammar and out of 30 of us in my class, 29 were from state primaries. I now gather that is no longer the case- there's a reason Salisbury is seething with private prep schools but has no run-of-the-mill private girls' school (I don't count 20K a year Godolphin!) and no private boys secondary at all. They've all been 'crammed' into the grammars.

Personally if I were a tax paying Salisbury parent I'd be asking questions about why I have to fund a de facto 'private school' whilst my own non-tutored/prepped kids are left with the 'dross' of frankly very average secondary moderns.

I have no beef with the concept of a grammar, per se, but I have a serious problem with the way these schools have been hijacked by well to do middle class parents, often, in the case of Salisbury, living 20 odd miles away.

No, not Salisbury. Midlands & Kent. We take in a real mix. 25% of the 6th form qualify for EMA for example yet the school is outstanding (well in Ofsted's eyes). I can see how it would grate that parents had essentially bought their child's place.