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Secondary education

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Original poster

Govette considering state school

36 replies

BeingFluffy · 21/09/2012 15:57

Gove, wife and Govette were spotted at Holland Park School today (special tour from the Head Teacher himself!). They came into DD's class.

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Farewelltoarms · 21/09/2012 16:27

Oooo interesting. I'd be impressed with any politician sending child to non faith/selective/private school. Not that gove does at the moment. And pity the poor teacher on parents' evening...

Original poster
BeingFluffy · 21/09/2012 16:49

I imagine she will go to one of the faith schools. I don't know if I would be pleased or horrified if Gove was a fellow parent!

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Bintang · 21/09/2012 16:53

Poor little child, having to go to the same school as the children of MNers! Wink

Farewelltoarms · 21/09/2012 16:55

Ahhh the advantage of being er religious, is that they'll be able to choose between the various faith options and holland park. And pick whichever is best. I have to say it would be shocking if he didn't opt for state. Will be fascinating to see what they all do (osborne's already opted out natch).

Farewelltoarms · 21/09/2012 16:58

Bintang the poor child already has double embarrassment whammy of having gove as dad and mother who writes about kids' sports days and pranks etc in national paper. When mine starting telling us how like soooo embarrassing we are, I'll remind them it could be worse.

Aboutlastnight · 21/09/2012 17:00

This reminds me of that episode of The Thick of It when Malcolm reads the new DOSAC minister the riot act over her child's education - kid ends up at state school.

The faith school option is the get out of Jail free card for politicians.

mumzy · 21/09/2012 17:41

Anyone know where clegg is sending hid ds?

Farewelltoarms · 21/09/2012 18:36

Seen looking round the oratory. Cf above point about faith schools...

olivevoir58 · 22/09/2012 09:04

Well knowing where he lives, I would say that he's sadly out of catchment for HP. Wonder if they will bend the rules for him? Heard on the grapevine that they did better than the Vaughan for gcse headlines this year.

Original poster
BeingFluffy · 22/09/2012 09:29

I think he is still on the edge of the catchment for the Band 1 - it was still over a mile last year on offers day (depending on the number of siblings) - also a lot of the Band 1 go to other schools and they go quite far down the list. There is also the art aptitude route Wink

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Original poster
BeingFluffy · 22/09/2012 09:33

Re the GCSEs, they did claim that. I think they were talking about the specific measure of 5 GCSE including maths and English. Not sure how it looks overall. Bear in mind that all HP take English GCSE in Jan of year 10 and keep resitting in year 11 if they fail. Cardinal Vaughan are still way ahead for A' level.

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YouBrokeMySmoulder · 22/09/2012 09:33

Why would Tories have to go state if they didn't want to though? They don't have any ideological attachment to it. The point about poor old Nicola Murrays dilemma was that she was Labour.

Farewelltoarms · 22/09/2012 10:35

I think Gove in particular does have to go state given what he's doing to this system for everyone else.
Re other Tories true but it's not a great 'all in this together' look. There are just too many photo ops when Cameron's spotted cheering on at the magnificent facilities of eton dorney...

Original poster
BeingFluffy · 22/09/2012 10:39

I think it would be political suicide for an Education Secretary to send a child to a private school in the current climate. There are many Outstanding primary and secondary schools in his area, so he can't argue they are not good enough. As a church goer he also has the option of the more socially selective church schools. I would be happy if he sent his children to Burlington Danes - my old school, which is I think his closest one and CofE comprehensive, mixed and diverse to boot. I think he and Clegg visited there recently - saw the pictures on the news - popular school for photo shoots.

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YouBrokeMySmoulder · 22/09/2012 11:03

Fair enough. I wouldn't think any worse of them for it though, I would expect the, to send their dc privately. Labour and Lib dems are a different matter as they have an ideological objection.

And nothing seems to be political suicide for the Tories at the moment. Why aren't people out on the streets about the NHS. It's astounding really.

YouBrokeMySmoulder · 22/09/2012 11:05

And I think at secondary level that dc should be allowed to choose their own school from the choice on the table. In our family we did.

roisin · 22/09/2012 11:52

Really? If my son made his own choices about secondary school his criteria would have been:

  • How big were the explosions in science experiments on open eve
  • What free food was on offer on open eve
  • What the uniform is like ...! Shock

We told him from a very early age that secondary school choice was not his decision; that as his parents who love him we would do the research and work out the best school for him and he didn't have to worry about it.

He was very contented with that idea, we kept him informed and he was happy with the decisions made.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 22/09/2012 11:54

My guess would be he will make a big thing about how they really did look and they'd've loved to be able to use state schools, but sadly as things stand many schools are still struggling with all the stupid things Labour did to them like funding them and shit like that and so they were reluctantly forced to use the private sector, but he appreciates they are very fortunate to be able to do so and hope that this decision won't be as hard for other parents in a few years when his reforms have reaally had time to make a difference.

YouBrokeMySmoulder · 22/09/2012 11:59

Yes rosin, I had a choice of 4 schools and chose the one I liked the most. As did my sister. Isn't that normal? I would have hated to have been sent to a school that I didn't feel was right.

We were lucky to actually have choices then though.

Farewelltoarms · 22/09/2012 12:31

Steamingnit - I think that will be the case for Cameron but I do think Gove will go state. I'd have a virtual wager on it. I am surprising myself with smallest smidgen of respect.
Ps am dithering between state and private myself for secondary as where we are the local comprehensive is not at all comprehensive given how everyone deserts it. However I'm not a politician wanging on about dumbing down, terrible teachers etc and if I were imposing the most dramatic reforms on education for generations then I'd feel obliged to be a part of them.

Original poster
BeingFluffy · 22/09/2012 13:03

I think it highly likely that Cameron's daughter will go to Greycoat Hospital (down the road from 10 Downing St) or St Marylebone, both very good C of E schools in Westminster.

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olivevoir58 · 22/09/2012 15:44

My money is actually on Gove plumping on Twyford. Outstanding co ed COf E comp just down the road in Acton. He's visited (official) several times.

YokoOhNo · 22/09/2012 15:58

Interesting. Michael Give's constituency is Surrey Heath. With some VERY good state and private options on his doorstep. I always wondered why politicians who were "torn" about their child's education didn't send their child to a school in their constituency, if better. It's an easy commute to Parliament and I imagine Mrs G works from home crafting her articles about thinning hair and sports day, so no difficulty there.

YouBrokeMySmoulder · 22/09/2012 16:00

Yoko, they don't have a property in the constituency after he was done for flipping his house.

scarlettsmummy2 · 22/09/2012 16:02

I would be surprised if he did go private, however it was any other conservative mp I wouldn't expect them to do anything but go private and nor would I care. They can spend their money as they wish.