very good local high school that mainly does vocational from 14+ or go for scholarship for private grammar?

[workshy]

DD is in year 5 but thinking about this now as will need to prep her if I decide to go down the selective route

but of shameless boasting here but she is very bright and got level 5 in both maths and english at the end of year 4

we have 2 local high schools -one of which I wouldn't touch with a barge pole
the other one has very good GCSE results and a good ofsted and this year became an accademy -but then you dig a little deeper and find out that the vast majority only sit Maths/English/1 science and a modern language -and then do vocational qualifications which count for several GCSEs this is my understanding of it so please correct me if I'm wrong
less than 10% of the kids stay on to 6th form and they offer very limited A level choices

the private grammar school is further away but there is a school bus which runs from a 5 minute walk away
she has been to the school as one of their community projects is a maths outreach program for the G&T pupils of local primaries and she loves it
we would be eligible for abursary based on income but it is also to do with entrance exam scores

I have always in theory been opposed to private education, thought people should support their local school but now it is my child hangs head in shame I'm not so sure she would fit in at the local high school

in primary they don't cover everything that will be on the exam so I would need to sort out some level of tutoring -but I have no clue where to start looking for a tutor

arrrggghhhhhhhhhh

why is nothing simple?

WWYD?

Grammar no question. Yes she will need some sort of tutoring just to be "exam ready" as primaries have them exam competent by SATs in the late spring of year 6 and 11+ is autumn in most places.

Try to get a word of mouth recommendation. Avoid "hot housing" but get lots of practice at timed paper and find from your school what the exam will ask (past paper?). don't go on hearsay as 11+ are very very variable animals.

Only Q- what would you do if she got into grammar but didn't get a scholarship??

(I ask as one who got in and got the scholarship but then couldn't take it up because we lived to far away - at 13 in a manky state comp that was miserable but boosted my confidence no end)

Remember that, if your DC is in year 5 your making decisions about what a school will offer in 5 years time - in education terms that's an entire school cohort away!

Wait until the education review comes out in January, see how that changes ks4 options at your local school and re assess would be my advice!

Whats a private grammar ? I thought if it was "grammar" then it must be state, please correct me

The soon-to-be-Academy sound as if they are very aware of league tables and are switched-on about what they need to do to get (apparently) good results. The Government realised that some schools were playing the system which is why they introduced the EBacc, without warning, last year. I'm betting that your school is now plotting what it can do to get better EBacc results - which means the maximising the number of pupils getting Eng, Maths, double science, a language and a humanity.

You can try for the private but you might find that your fallback position, the state school, will not be so bad after all by the time you get to choose GCSE options.

I wouldn't stress too much about the sixth form because you can always move then (but with the caveat that pupils who have been at a school since Y7 will always be first pick for prefect, captain of sport, lead role in drama, etc).

You should visit it. Talk to teachers and get a feel for this school as well as assessing what is on paper.

Although it can change markedly in the next six years, ask them what the option blocks were for this years year 9's. It may be lots take vocational because they choose to. Have a look and see if there are academic routes as well.

Whats a private grammar ? I thought if it was "grammar" then it must be state, please correct me
I would imagine, one of the many former state grammars which became private rather than becoming comps. Some of these still retain 'grammar' in their name. These may or may not be very selective though doubtless there will be an entrance exam.

Anyhow - it sounds like the OP has a DD who should go to a school which does 'academic' subjects - proper GCSEs. The state school described sounds wonderful for many kids (we need good 'vocational' schools) but doesn't sound right for her child.

sorry to highjack, and for the daft question (not from these parts of the world). If you want to get in a selective grammar, apart from passing the entrance exam to you have to live in the catchment area? Thanks.

Timetoask - I think it varies by area but where I am, what happens is that children who live in catchment who meet the required standard on the 11+ get a place. This usually results in there being a few 'residual places' available to children living out of catchment. These are allocated in order of test result (though I think in some places the distance may also be factored in).

thank you Grimma.

Also, if it's a private grammar then it won't have a catchment area, usually entrance is by selective exam.

Grammars here are not cachment area based- purely the highest ability applicants.

there is a state grammar about the same distance in the opposite direction but works on catchment area and we are outside it

if she passes but doesn't get the scholarship then I can apply for a bursary to cover a percentage of the fees, my parents can cover a percentage of the fees so I will have to do the sums if that happens

not sure where the name of the school is from, but I also know a state grammar school that isn't a selective school but still calls itself a grammar???

I also know a state grammar school that isn't a selective school but still calls itself a grammar???

so do I - our area abolished all its grammars ; some went private and kept the names, some stayed state and kept the name. The one I'm thinking of is CofE, so its now just discriminatory instead of academically selective. Heigh ho.

It is irrelevant what the majority of students do - what will your dc be able to do?

A good school will be offering both academic and vocational qualifications.

For an academic child, a school with lots emphasis on vocational qualifications and a tiny sixth form would ring alarm bells for me.

sassh - I wouldn't have said it was irrelevant. If there's only a small cohort of 'academic' kids it could affect the dynamics in all sorts of ways.

workshy Why not go to the state school's Christmas fair and see what the children and parents are like? My DS was going to the local comprehensive which on paper seemed fine, but in reality the teachers were going wild with frustration in the lessons - they just couldn't control the class. The school was being well managed by a decent head but at the end of the day the raw material - the children - is what counts.

An academic child IMP is better staying away from a school that has a very limited 6th form and covers a large vocational subject area. They may be unable to offer her the range of subjects she needs at GCSE,particularly in the Sciences where I believe it is imperative to have a choice of 3 separate subjects. Go for the Grammar if at all possible. _ I have always been extremely grateful for my Grammar scholl education.

sorry posting error above should say IMO (not IMP) - bugger me, knew I should have gone for the typing classes. !!