Would you move to a grammar school area?

[HailSatan]

We aren't in a grammar school area at the moment. There is a good one about an hour's drive away and would make the morning commute to work about 40 minutes. Would you move there just for the better school no other reason?

Is the grammar a better school? It's not guaranteed and certainly isn't if your child doesn't get in.
I could move 20 min away to grammar areas but haven't, as the local comps are large enough that top sets are like grammar without the stress of 11+ on kids who are strong in some subjects but not all.

What is a good school (to you)? I’m in a comprehensive area bordering another county with grammar schools- but the outcomes of the more able children from our comprehensive are better than from the next town’s grammars. And the mental health, particularly of girls, is anecdotally far better.
It’s really impossible to say.

You also need to look at the possibility that your DC might not get in and will go to a secondary modern instead. Does that bother you? If it doesn’t then why not give it a go.

If the non grammar is also a better school then yes. But think very very carefully about what the options are if your DC doesn't pass the 11+.

Regardless of how bright they are or how much tutoring they've had, or not had, it all comes down to how many puzzles they get right on a Thursday morning in September (or whenever they take it). Every year there will be some super bright kids who just don't make it and some not so bright who just happen to make lucky guesses. I wouldn't move my whole life on the chance of my child getting a heap of multiple choice questionss right unless there was also a good school nearby for those that didn't get them right.

You don't have to live in the grammar school area for your child to attend. If the school wants the child they will take them. Often transport is organised too, a school bus.

Does the grammar school have a catchment area? If not, your dc could sit the test and you could move if they passed.

On looking round schools we sort of felt which would be best for dd. It may be different for different children and you know your child best.

I would happily move to be in area for a better school (incl grammar) if I wasn’t keen on local schools. I would have to find an area I liked and wanted to live in that had good schools though, I wouldn’t be driven by the school alone.

JustRichmal is spot on - visit your local schools and see if you like any first before making big decisions. You might be surprised.
Our ds turned down private school offers and a superselective because we felt the local comprehensive would suit his character better. He has just got stunning GCSE's, (better than most at the other schools). If your child is happy, they will flourish.

We have a really good local comprehensive school, with good academic results, a focus on music (which my kids love), and good balance between academic learning and art. It's a very good, well respected community school. So I wouldn't move to a grammar school, especially not our closest one which is very, very academic and has little else to offer. However, if our local school had very poor results and lots of behaviour problems, then yes I would probably move.

My DD has just done her GCSEs. She scored exceptionally highly, with lots of 8s and 9s. Based on those results, she is clearly top end of grammar school, yet she didn't even come close to passing the 11+. Luckily, we have comprehensives (and grammars here), so DD went to comp.

OP, no matter how cleve your DC is, There's no guarantee that he or she will pass the 11+ and even if they do, they still may not get a place at your chosen school if they are one of those that skim off the top scorers (here, you have to get almost 100% to get into most of the grammars).

greencatbluecat well done to your dd! I have often thought success is not determined by how easily you can do things, but how well you can bounce back from set backs.