Is there a way to know if your child should consider grammar school?

[camaleon]

MY dd (end of year 3 now) seems to be doing well at school. There is a very good grammar 500 meters away from our house and I know some parents are already preparing their children to get in.

Can someone tell me if there is a way of estimating your child may thrive in that kind of environment? I have never heard of the concept of grammar schools before coming to this country and I am not particularly keen on single sex education.

So far I have avoided all kind of homeworks apart from reading and, while I can see and understand she is performing well above NC expected/average level, I have no reason to believe she is exceptional.

If you have a child in a grammar or you consider one, what kind of academic performance made you think of it?

We live v close to a grammar and as most of my family had attended one, thought it would be the right school for DS. Ours isn't a super selective so I knew we wouldn't be looking at ridiculously high grades, but as he'd got level 3s in y2 and was on course for l5s for y6, it would be feasible. As it was, he got l6 in maths and the highest 11+ mark in his year at school so achieved more than I'd thought.

As long as you are familiar with the 11+ material and working well above where you should be-that's enough to give you a decent chance IMO.

Thank you. Believe it or not I can't remember levels for year 2 but will dig them out. She got mainly 3as this year but I don't think she got 3s before. I guess I can wait a d watch next year and also azk teachers opinion.

3a in Y3 are on the right track. My DC2 is in Y4 now and got 4c/bs and will be sitting the 11+ next year (start of Y6).

Get to know the 11+ requirements for your local grammar school as they are all very different. Ours does VR, Maths and Engish but others just do VR or VR and NVR so this will affect anything you do with her :)

Thank you REdlocks30.

Hi -

Our DS went to a grammar school. He was probably in Yr3 or Yr4 when we let him visit the local comprehensives, and the grammar (which was a few miles away). He didn't have much difficulty deciding grammar was the one he would prefer, if he could pass the 11+, which he went on to do.

The 'ethos' of a grammar school is probably more stimulating than some comprehensives, and there is often a longer 'tradition' of success in obtaining good university places.

Whilst I do not doubt many comprehensives serve their pupils needs very well, for the family that wants something more than the 'average' for their child, and the child has the ability and work-ethic to perform in the more intensive grammar environment, I think there are advantages to be gained.

If you can, in September, I would suggest you try to arrange for DD to visit the different schools, and ask her opinion. You need to decide by Yr5 if you ARE trying for the 11+, and time can go by quicker than you realize!

Grammar schools vary wildly depending on whether its a traditional grammar and secondary modern area or whether it is a generally comprehensive area

If it's a 2 tier system I would do everything I could to get dc into grammar

If it's a comprehensive area then you need to go and look at the schools and see which is a best fit for your dc -top sets in comps are equivalent to grammar schools

Thank you again. I am not sure I understand 'If it's a 2 tier system I would do everything I could to get dc into grammar'.

2 tier system is if you are an area where everyone sits the 11+ and the top children are creamed off and go to the grammar, the rest go to secondary moderns

In this situation the grammars are effectively the areas 'top set' and the secondary moderns take everyone else

It is possible to do well in a SM but its harder. Plus there is less room for movement -if a child achieves average results aged 10 and goes to SM, and then at 12 progress really quickly, in a good comp they would move up the sets, in a SM there would be nowhere for them to go as the top set is in a completely different school

Ferguson - you very clearly ARE doubting whether many comprehensives serve their pupils' needs very well by sending your child to a gs.

Here is one measure (click here to open the link), regarding performance at least, to see whether your DD is either achieving beyond expectations or exceptional.

Sorry, Iamnotminterested : DS visited two comprehensives, and the grammar school, while he was still at primary, and there was plenty of time for him to decide which HE preferred. Yes, we agreed with his decision, but did not set out to influence him. I went to a gs, but as I only got three 'O' levels I was not a very good advert for the system (three tier, in the 1950s).

I repeat, many comprehensives do meet the needs of their pupils very well, and some have specialist departments - sport; the arts; technology; engineering - that gs cannot match. But many children would not WANT to perform to the levels of academic and disciplinary standard expected in a gs, and would be very unhappy in such an environment.