Question about primary schools (state) for those planning on Grammar for their children

[Cortina]

How many typically go to Grammar from feeder, state primary schools?

Talking to a friend today and it seems that most of her son's year expect to get into a excellent Grammar in Bucks, about 80% of his class (state primary feeder).

There are a few very well thought of primary schools around Amersham and Marlow. Do so many of the cohort make it to the Grammars?

I know many that have moved to Bucks to take advantage of the Grammar school system. It's interesting that many assume their children will automatically get in. Is that reasonable?

There is an excellent 11+ forum that has this kind of information available. This thread has the results of the 11+ taken in October 2009. As you can see there is great variation between the schools.

I believe that approximately 30% of children that take the bucks test qualify, but this includes out of county and private schools.

From what I know none of the Bucks primary schools teach for 11+ (they used to when I was at school many many years ago) and everyone gets tutors. Ds is at private school and there is an expectation that many will go on to the local grammar school. His school doesn't teach 11+ either as they want the pupils to go on to the attached secondary school.

We aren't in catchment for Bucks primaries but we are for grammar.

My dd's school traditionally sends 50 to 75% to grammar, single class intake, small village, fairly expensive area.
HUGE variations in the other schools round here, although 1 of them (Saltwood Primary) sent 29 out of 30 to grammar last year!!

in my experience, it depends on the socioeconomic mix of the school. i used to work in schools across a small town which had a grammar. in some schools (semi rural)most of the children got in, in others (town centre different housing) there were only 2 or 3 a year. so it is quite possible that most of the class could get in.
(giving the lie to grammar schools being solely for people to get there on ability! but that's a whole different thread..)

yup, we were classed as Semi rural

Am I the only one round here wondering what this says about the Grammar system that so much seems to depend on socio-ecomonic back ground....?

probably not no Lydwatt, I went to grammar school and had friends from all backgrounds, council houses, single parent families, poor, rich, average, the only thing that linked us were that we were (allegedly) a bit brighter than average. Looking back, most peopl seemed to have at least one parent who was too.
OFTEN (certainly not always) peoples socio - economic life is based on their "earn-ability" - ie their innate intelligence.
Does that make any sense?

I know what I am trying to say!

I know that studies constantly show that the most important factor in the sucess of a child in the education system is not ecomonic (so I am wrong!) or even what schoolyou go to.

The single most important thing comes down to how educated your mum was. This is becuase mothers tend to be the ones inolved in the education of their children (day to day) and their education level, the theory goes, reflects how important they consider education to be.

If you value education, you pass this onto your kids and so they, in turn, value it and suceed. This seems to match your experience, QOD

I guess what has struck me, is that this also appears to be linked to socio ecomonic background, that the primary school you go to will act as a strong predicter for getting into Grammar school. Success at school leads to sucess in life, leads to better life styles...

you are right you know!

This thread (hope it's ok to link to!) has the stats on how well Bucks state schools did in 2009.

While the cohorts obviously vary, there are some schools which consistently get a higher proportion through.

Looking at the particular areas you can deduce for yourself how much coaching/parental involvement there is.

OP, I have to say that I think your friend?s school has delusions of grandeur ? the top-performing state primary schools rarely get more than 50% of their pupils into a Bucks GS in any given year (as backed up by the stats shown in the links). Even this is pretty good as it?s only about 25% of pupils who attend a Bucks state primary school who go on to a Bucks grammar ? but it?s some way short of the 80% claimed.

Incidentally, strictly speaking there?s no such thing as a ?feeder? primary school in Bucks. The county operates an ?opt out? system, ie every child is entered into the 11+ unless parents specifically choose to withdraw. Every child who gets over the pass mark is guaranteed a place at a grammar school should they so wish, although this may not be their first choice school (and it?s worth bearing in mind that Bucks has both single-sex and mixed-sex grammars).

I agree, I'm in the 'heart of Bucks' and although it does vary from school to school, I think 30% is considered very good. As PP say it seem more down to extra coaching (and it a big industry out here!).

I think there is also a huge amount of parental pressure piled on the middle 50% of pupils, most of whom probably won't get in.

Don't get me wrong I like the grammar school system, but I think it's a shame that getting in has become a business, rather than just a 'selection' like it used to be (ie when I took it there was no external coaching just a few practice papers in school so you knew what to expect). The problem seems to be that a few of the secondary schools are really dire and parents are so desperate for their children not to have to go there.

lydwatt you've put a smile on my face this morning.
we are broke but i have a string of good educational qualifications so hopefully my DCs will do well!

i also went to a bucks grammar school (not very socially mixed in my opinion, but then bucks isn't socially mixed) and at that time (and probably now too) it was an excellent school.

actually disclaimer, the bit of bucks my school was in wasn't particularly socially mixed, from my perspective now, living in a northern city at least.