Is this a reasonable question to ask a Secondary school, and should they be able to give me an answer reasonably quickly?

[seeker]

We like in an all selective area, and 23% of children go to grammar schools.

Would it be reasonable for me to ask the High School what % of their cohort are likely to start year 7 with level 5 SATS?

Entirely reasonable IMO, and it is the kind of information that schools should have pretty readily available.

Not sure why you want to know that.

Schools also have a measure for three levels of progress, which indicate what % of children went from level 3 to 6, 4 to 7 and 5 to 8 during their years 7 to 11.

Asking for that measure, which is publicised in the league tables, I think, will allow you to see how many manage to make good progress at the school.

There is also greater depth on league tables now with % split between low middle and higher attainers. That might help you as well, without actually asking the school.

Schools tend to do their own tests anyway within a few months and it is irrelevent who starts at what level it is your child that matters a friend of mine DD got a level 5 Sat think it must have been a sympathetic marker she was out down group and doing better now SAT not really a true indicator. We opted after a lot of deliberation to send DD to local college not High school a hour away and she thriving if secondary school good then go for that our have beaten the independants in the area

I'd like to know because i suspect that practically all the 3 level 5 people in our area will be going to grammar school, and I'd quite like to know what sort of an academic peer group my 3 level 5 ds will have when he goes to the High school.

Why are you not keen for your DS to go to the grammar school, as it sounds like he should be pretty sure of making the grade for a place?

There's something on the DfES website which has information on how many children in each entry are considered 'High' (ie. above L4), Medium (L4) and Low (sub L4). Will try to remember where the heck I found it...

Ok, here you go

HTH

Oh you have to click on the individual schools to get the info

All states have higher level sets etc my DD2 did the extension paper at level 6 and she is thriving at non grammer school as I said SAT results are irrelevent

carrots- you would have thought so! !

Imnotmymum- yes I agree. But if you live in a selective area, what would be the top set in a comprehensive school just aren't there in a High school- they've gone off to the grammar.

From the tables on that website, the 'non-selective' schools around here in a selective area have between 25%-30% achieving over L4 at the end of KS2. The selectives have between 94%-96%.

Seeker - am I right in thinking your DS missed out on a grammar place despite high ability?

If so, I am sure he is not alone and will find quite a few of his ability in the top sets of the high school.

Imnotmymum Unfortunately, not all state schools have setting. Our local secondary school sets only for maths, science and MFL. All other subjects, including English, are mixed ability. This is a school which has a substantial number of children beginning year 7 on level 3 as well as children who had achieved level 5 by the end of year 5. As it is a "new" academy (although a bog standard comp since 2005), it doesn't appear on weblette's very useful website.

Same grammar situation as where we live seeker, and afaik this information should be readily available.

Seeker, what answer from the school would put your mind at ease?

Not sure whatni wantntonknow really. I'd just like to get a better picture of what we're getting into. Thank you all for the link to the tables- can't think why I didn't think of looking there myself! A rather dispiriting 10 high attainers...........

what does that mean seeker?

Too few bright ones?

It is hard when your child goes to a comp in a grammar area.

I live in a city with 4 grammars and 4 comps. We used to live in the town next door (where dd went to a selectice school) but when we moved we couldn't get dd into the grammar schools (this was in year 8) as the waiting lists were too long. She commuted for a year but it was a nightmare, and then dd got badly bullied and we moved her and sent her to a comp.

There are some bright kids, but not a huge amount, as the top sets have all been topsliced and go to the grammars, as has been said. That said there are a number of kids who just didn't want to go to the grammars, had a bad day on the 11+ and like dd moved into the city mid year and were something like 87th on the waiting list for the grammars.

I don't think there is much pushing of children - the bright kids are left to their own devices pretty much as they are assured of getting the golden target of 5 A*-C. A lot of the effort is spent on the C-D borderline kids.

I know that dd's attainment would have been far higher if she had got into the grammar, however she has had some issues, and has also been diagnosed with dyslexia and the pastoral care and SN provision at the comp she attends has been absolutely exemplary. It is a good school - however it is gutting that we live 2 miles from one of the top 15 state schools in teh country, and she could well have got in there.

I'd be delighted if there was a comprehensive for my ds to go to!

Oh no - do you not have anywhere for him to go? Is he having to go somewhere miles away insetad?

Is there 12+ entry Seeker?

Oh, no- he's got a High school place. It's just not a comprehensive because the top set are in the grammar school down the road!

I am confused as to your problem you do not want him in Grammar ??

I would like him to be at the grammar. Unfortunately he failed the 11+!

Sorry, I used the word comprehensive erroneously, it is more like a secondary modern.

All children in year 6 take the 11+ - the bright lot get to go to some of the best schools in the country, the ones who don't get in go to the other schools (called community colleges and the like but termed locally as comps, when they are not really and what you would call a High school).

It is a shite situation and leaves very little choice. Can you appeal at all? If your son is level 5 he is certainly bright enough to have been given a place? Can you speak to the grammar adnmissions and see what their waiting list policy is, he could get an in-year admission.

But none of it is ideal, I am sorry.

OK i am thick obviously !! High school where I come from is the Grammar what the difference between High school and comp