Labour advised to finish closing all grammars

[twistyizzy]

Advice currently being given to Labour by same group that support VAT on private schools.

Lots of areas around the UK don't have grammar schools and haven't had for decades.
They all cope perfectly fine without.

Or do you think only people who live in very specific areas of the UK are able to attain a certain level of education and do particularly competitive jobs?

They were at two different schools. One is now Ofsted good - but was previously requires improvement while DS was there (till about year 10). It was our third choice and half an hour from where we live by school bus. It was fairly undersubscribed when he started, but that's where he and all his friends got in so...

The other is a church school (DD was in church choir) and is Ofsted outstanding, though the last inspection was almost 10 years ago. As a parent I don't know that the outstanding school is that different from the RI, as was, school. (Also, the primary they both went to went from outstanding to RI to good while they were there, and was never particularly different as far as the kids/parents were concerned so I had the experience of doubting Ofsted wisdom anyway).

Staff in the RI school worked really hard and I got the impression its staff liked teaching there. I remember one of them went from there to a very prestigious local private school. I suppose it's all about the leadership, and the head there is great– always took personal responsibility for dealing with any problems that came up, used to see early morning school trips off in person etc, not at all complacent. When Ofsted visited, I made a real point of praising the school in the parent feedback survey and I think lots of others must have as well since it got moved up.

Editing to answer your question about teacher recruitment. I don't think either had major problems, though there would be supply teachers fairly regularly. The one DD is at now has regular supply teachers who fill in if anyone is off.

Two things, there is nothing wrong with comprehensive education. It is the system under which the vast majority of the country learns. It is literally comprehensive.
Secondly, why are there so many threads criticising “advisor has suggested” to Labour. These aren’t policies, surely we actually appreciate qualified, experienced experts advising the government. They listen to points of view and then make decisions. I’m sure most of us agree that ‘advisors’ to the last government would have been more than welcome.

I so wish this happens, fingers crossed pretty please!

Labour are likely to leave it well alone as they have enough crap to sort out thanks to the Tories.

They have to sort out teacher recruitment, stopping universities failing, schools falling down and early years first. Then they need to sort out qualifications for teenagers. If they get around to that then they may get rid of grammar schools.

They’re in power now and will probably change the voting rules to make sure they never get voted out again or make some change to the rules which mean anything they implement will not be allowed to be reversed by any successive government. So it won’t matter if they don’t vote for them again.

You think it was bad under the Tories - just look across the channel at the mess that is now France - we aren’t far away from that. It would be funny if it weren’t so terrifying. Such a shame to see what is happening to that beautiful country. I wouldn’t even be at all suprised if the Olympics end up getting cancelled because of all the nutters over there causing so much disruption.

Absolute rubbish! They literally constitutionally can’t do the latter. And the first is just impossible.

Absolutely. Lots of predictions of awful things will happen if there are no grammars that just aren’t happening in the many areas where there are… no grammars.

Who is going to buy their house?

I forgot to mention a couple of other potentially significant non-cash rewards.

In independent schools, teachers typically receive a tuition reduction if their DC go there. I believe they typically also receive a preference in admissions, but I'm not sure how big that is.

In comprehensive state schools, at least, the DC of staff often also receive a preference in admissions. I don't know if they ever get any preference in grammars.

Yet more reasons for teachers to prefer to work in "better" schools.

He sent his kids to state schools. The new Education minister went to a faith comprehensive in the North East and we all know the deputy PMs views on education. Most areas don’t have grammars so he won’t lose too many seats.

OFSTED have recently downgraded some of the top grammars so maybe they are not ‘all that’ anyway.

Independent discount can be zero to 80% (at a big named boarder, but you give up your life for those jobs). Most day schools would be somewhere in the middle. Right about the teacher preference in comps but grammar you have to sit the test.

Talk of Labour removing sibling preference too. Hopefully not for primary as that would be a nightmare but I guess secondary aged children travel by themselves so not such an issue. That really would jack up house prices.

Giving the vote to 16 year olds?

There are 163 grammar schools in England out of 3000 secondary schools. Many people genuinely don’t know they still exist. You see it on here all the time.

I was coming on to say the same thing @Longma

Is this potentially a stick it to the South East powerhouse from some usual suspects? Are most of the remaining state grammars and private schools in London and the South East? You know the South East where we work and pay taxes to support other regions? Because if that is the case it’s very divisive?

It's one way to cast a slur on Labour without Labour actually doing anything wrong!

Oh my word. Would you like everyone outside of the south east to doff their caps to you too?

Anyway there are a good number of grammar schools in the north.

Talk of Labour? I heard they are going to ban caviar and make everyone have a whippet.

There are state grammar schools in the north of England, the midlands, the east, the south west. And (proportionally) lots in NI. None in Scotland or Wales. The only area with none at all is the north-east.

Sad to hear those of us living outside London are lying on sofas all day waiting to get our subsidies.

Ee by gum pet rollin in levellin up ere. Potholes of it. Ta very much.

This would be fantastic for me personally as I would be able to send my son to the (would be ex) super selective at the end of my road instead of travelling a long way! It would also be good for traffic in the area as we wouldn't have the local streets clogged up with people driving to said school.

As it's not actually a policy I won't get very excited about it.

Do posters like this realise how twattish and ridiculous they sound?

I ask this as someone who was born in the South East, grew up in the South East, and lived in the South East as an adult for years before moving to the Midlands, where I am now paying way more tax than I ever paid when I was living in the South East.

Some of us just disagree with selective education on principle. It has fuck all to do with some bizarre notion of regional envy.