Kent & Bexley Mums

[starlady]

I am really curious how tax paying Kent and Bexley mums feel about out of borough children being tutored up to their eyeballs/ going to private crammers coming in and taking grammar places away from Kent and Bexley tax-payers?

Troisgarcons - I'm curious now. Now your ds has not been 'deemed selective', and you've seen it from the other side, has this altered your views? Your son is clearly bright, but he doesn't have a place.

Someone from my child's primary school will probably take his place and travel miles. Silly system.

starlady

I have 3 children - Eldest was soooooo not 'bright' - bottom set, Welling - tested for everything, border line everthing but diagnosed nothing. He is what we would have euphamistically called a 'simple, gentle giant' in years gone by. I have no issue with that, it was schools that always wanted to stick a lable on him. He hated school, he really couldnt cope with it at all and eventually he was outsourced to one of those private enterprise educators who do 1-on-1 for the Y10 and Y11. He's at college now.

Middle is a classic 'work to get where I need to be' - top & middle sets BETHS

Youngest is on paper brighter than Middle - that would also factor in absolute laziness on Middles part - he refuses to revise for exams that have no actual impact on his life .... pointless picking a pen up in a mock.... but he always pulls it out of the bag in the real thing. Youngest also doesnt like to stretch his boundaries - HW ends in melt downs. He actually wouldnt cope with grammar expectations.

Im now torn between CPS and BA. BA is too big. Im swinging to CPS.

I do wholeheartedly believe in the grammar system. I've always lived in Bexley, grew up with it. I would take it further and reintroduce the tri-part system we used to have prior to 'comprehensives' .... Grammar, sec moderns and tech colleges ..... everyone has a niche in life and should be educated according to their strengths and abilities - but not stopped from having dreams or aspirations.

Im a sec modern girl - I did far better than my grammar friends (and way better than my comprehensive friends) because I had a point to prove! They rested on their laurels. My DP is a grammar boy - he left with nothing because he went into an apprenticeship scheme - and did very nicely - they paid for his degree! I did a foundation degree when I was at work in the city (all a box ticking exercise) but frankly have found it useless in real life!

jinx no idea what happened to the petition - I would assume under the right to send you child whre ever you like - it was thrown out. Deborah Absolem (sp) was made redundant as Head of Education and the post was merged with the Directorate of Social Services.

Having 2 DC who have been through it, without any tutoring, extra lessons etc and neither being deemed selective (eldest failed by 1 mark) from a purely selfish point of view, less out of borough children would have meant a place for DS1 at grammar, and a chance of a decent education, rather than what he is actually receiving.

Problem in Bexley is that (excepting the church schools, and Harris) the other non selective schools are shit. And now I have to send a second child to one, to get a sub-standard education. Not an enthralling prospect.

What about Kent and Bexley parents entering their children for the two selective Bromley schools???

TBH no one I know enters for St Olaves (I dont know the other?) - they do enter for Dartford and Wilmington.

Where I work (non selective) we get a lot of Bromley, Dartford, Greenwich students in.

Harris, I wouldnt piss on if it were on fire (sorry!) but we pick up all their disruptive kids who settle in nicely after two weeks and never are their names on round-robins. I don't like the Harris ethos with (a) staff treatment (b) the selective banding (c) pastoral care. Results driven.

Other Bromley selective I think is Newstead Woods. I know a child from Bexley at both, however they attended private prep schools (where they are heavily coached for the 11plus). I don't know of any others who even sat the test, let alone got in.

I've only heard good things about Harris up til now, something of a contrast to all the other non selective schools which no-one says anything good about. So much for picking 6 schools on the form, I wish there was even 1 school I actively wanted DS2 to go to!

My child also missed a selective place by a few marks, is bright and was really upset at his results. We looked at St Columbas's with an open mind. Everyone seems to have a negative opinion. We were really impressed by the pupils and results they achieve. Anyone have experiences to share?

Only advice i can give you is 'go and look' - and look when they are open.

CPS is Tues, weds, thurs AM
Bexleyheath is Mon Am
Erith Weds Am
Welling Thurs AM

The faith schools are open all week.

The only non-banded selection schools are: Welling, Business Academy, Bex/heath and CPS.

I, personally, have big issues with banded selection. Just dont be suckered in with gloss paint.

I worked @ St Columbas. It has a lot of racism. Their pupils are always in the News Shopper. Persaonlly it wasn't an employment experience I would wish to repeat. Again it's one of those schools that use BTECs in place of GCSEs to bolster its results.

After the 11+ experience I don't really want to go for more testing. It is very hard to get your head round the btec / gcse thing! I really want a school where my child will be guided into gcse exams in the more traditional subjects!
The extent of tuition used within my child's school to get through the 11+ has shocked me. The whole system needs a good shake up - unfortunately Gove is probably going to mess my brain up even more in the next 12 months.

Thanks for getting back to me troisgarcons - fingers crossed it will work out OK for you (and all of us!).

Sad to hear about St Columbus. I know some people who are considering it, but it won't be on our list ...