Anti grammar school teacher

[1234ThumbWar]

We have parents evening coming up for dd2 and I'm not sure how to deal with her teacher. At the last parents evening I asked if she thought dd was on track to enter her for grammar school entrance exams. I did say I appreciate it's a while off (year 4), but it would be good to get a rough idea. Her teacher said that she didn't understand why people send their dc's to the grammar schools when there are such good high schools in the area and that's what she'd do with her dc's. She didn't give me any feedback on dd's chances.

As her mother I think she's a genius bright girl, but I may be way out, so her teacher is surely the best placed person to give me feedback. Am I being unrealistic to expect to be given an indication of her chances? I'm not great at confrontation, so was taken aback last time and didn't say anything. This time I'd like to ask again and get a response, but need a diplomatic way of asking her to put aside her own thoughts on the local schools. Dd1 is very happy at the grammar and I'd love dd2 to go too, I don't think it's any business of her teacher what we decide is best.

caddleshoe- Could you please share your contact details for my son

caddleshoe- Could you please share your contact details for my son

We live in a grammar area and our state primary school is abit funny about the 11+ - they do run an 11+ club after school in the spring term, but other than that, don't really want to 'get involved' with the whole circus that is 11+ in our area.

MY kids aren't quite at that age yet, but most parents seem to just get a tutor and say that, even if their kids don't want to take or pass the 11+, just having a tutor for a year has brought the kids on massively.

MY kids aren't quite at that age yet

One can never start to early. If you want to keep your options open it is a good idea to keep on top of maths and encourage them to read widely.

Dd1 is at GS. We did not get a tutor I got some materials from the bookshop but by the time we started preparations in year 5 it was fairly manageable because she had a good vocabulary and comprehension which definitely helped with VR and we didn't have gaps to fill in terms of maths.

Some parents leave it late and from my experience that way if gets stressful and often expensive. I'm a great believer in little and often.

Hi 1234 ThumbWar

This was exactly the same at our school - but it is clear that teachers feel they cannot interfere in any way with the decision for or against deciding to sit the 11+.

My advice is if your child is doing well (NC L4 ability in Y4), has strong calculation skills and good comprehension skills - then go for it.

Bond's Parent's guide to the 11+ explains more about what it involves and has an assessment test your child can take that helps to determine if they have that potential to pass the 11+. Available most book stores/ large news agents/ amazon.

The elevenplus forum will also have information for your specific region: www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/index.php

Finally - a teacher at our school was absolutely horrid to a friend of mine when she was asking about her son sitting the 11+ (he did go on to pass with a lot of tutoring) and when my DD1 was visiting a grammar she was there with her son looking around. So don't kid yourselves most teachers know the value of good local grammar schools - certainly in Birmingham it's the difference between leaving that opportunity for attending Cambridge/ Oxford open to your child - or not.

Cambridge University admissions statistics for 2012 here: www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/publications/docs/admissionsstatistics2012.pdf - 1 in 5 chance from comprehensive - 1 in 3 chance for grammar school.

& Oxford's stats for 2013: www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/facts_and_figures/undergraduate_admissions_statistics/school_type.html - they've done a lot of massaging but basically if you're from the state sector you have a 1 in 5 chance of acceptance vs. 1 in 4 chance of acceptance from independent sector. (now some of those 'state sector' kids will be from state funded grammars - e.g. King Edward Consortium Birmingham - thus ye olde massaging of figures - indeed ordinary comprehensives account for 1/2 of their total applications from state sector).

In maths, more year-6 DC achieved SAT level 6 last year, than available grammar places, where I am. So, 5B by the end of year 5, thus 4A by the end of year 4 is hoped, supposing two sub-levels of progress per year?

I would think, if motivated, two or three sub-level of progress in maths in a relatively short time is very much possible. I would use how-to books rather than Bond which is test papers, if DC need to learn lots of new things.

I thought that the Kent test in particular was being altered to make sure that it did NOT include stuff not in the NC and to make it much harder to tutor for
as the grammars are under pressure to prove they are open access

Yes, the Kent test is being changed this year. Bexley has changed last year. Still it is likely that the tests will contain verbal and non verbal reasoning, which is not in the NC in the local primaries except for the Indies.

Still it is likely that the tests will contain verbal and non verbal reasoning, which is not in the NC in the local primaries except for the Indies.

in that case I hope it does not

when prep schools brag about getting 100% into grammar schools
and grammar schools admit to being 0% FSM and over 25% ex private schools

its time they presented the kids with something completely unexpected to see who is bright and whose parents can afford tutoring