The Politics of Grammar Schools

[GiftedPhoenix]

I thought some mumsnet readers would be interested in my latest post, which is about grammar schools, especially their record in admitting high-attaining children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

giftedphoenix.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/the-politics-of-selection-grammar-schools-and-disadvantage/

The selection issue has been bubbling away in the media and this looks set to continue next week, as the Conservatives come under increased pressure from within their own party to include a commitment to new grammar schools in the Tory Election manifesto.

I wanted to explore what progress our remaining 163 grammar schools are making towards 'fair access', so providing a benchmark against which to judge political claims that they might be engines of social mobility. I'm not concerned with research on their historical record in this respect, but with evidence of recent reform.

Evil

Sorry, but can't help it now. It was the 55% Who got 5 GCSEs at A to C, including Eng and Maths that first struck me.

whom attained

So you are basing your "run a mile" advice purely on that, whilst simultaneously saying that OFSTED judgements are unsound because they only spend 2 days in a school?

Have you any idea how ridiculous you sound?

OK, so 55% inc English & Maths. What are the starting points? What are the levels of progress? Or does your "analysis" not include that?

Thanks - I understood "who got" perfectly well. Whom attained would be incorrect in that sentence.

At the end of the day it is GCSE, AS and A2 grade performance that counts. That is what universities and employers will see.

Whom attained would be incorrect in any sentence!

Looking at the figures , there not so bad 95% of High Attainers achieve 5A*-C Maths/English with a B grade average 57% of Middle attainers average C-.

Anyway they have a smart new "uniform" that is about to be launched ! That is sure to get they overall pass rate up from 55% to at least 56% !.

I stand corrected. My apologies for the grammar faux pas.

Regarding my thoughts on the said school, sadly nothing has changed.

Mascalls is the kind of school that people would liked to be rolled out all over Kent!. Middle ranking 55-63% pass rate Comprehensives because that represents the real average of the county .

You are entitled to your opinion, even if it is a ludicrous snap judgement based on one thing only.

You clearly don't understand what really does count though. Results are nothing unless one is fully aware of the starting points.

43 out of 229 are high attained. 95% would make it 41 students. So 41 students out of 229 achieved 5 GCSEs, including Eng and Maths, at grades A to C. That's 18% of that cohort.

Do you realise that the high/middle/low attainers refers to their entry points? ie their KS2 results? No idea where you get your assertion than 41/229 got 5A*-C inc English & Maths.

Perhaps do a bit more research and understand the figures you are "analysing", portico

And if 87 out if 147 Middle attainers have achieved 5 A to C GCSEs, including Eng Nd Maths, what about the residual 60 students.

Any, how do they define high, med and low attainers.

High attainers are those who enter with an average KS2 grade of L5.

Middle attainers achieved average L4 at KS2.

Low attainers achieved average L3 at KS2.

I'm amazed you can be so shocked about data when you don't actually know what it is telling you.

The 60 residual students may have missed their C grade in English OR Maths but could still have come out with 9 A grades.

Hey Evil

In relation to the numbers I looked at the Numbers in Cohort table. There are 229 of them.

portico - there is 'nothing [you] want to do to help' people who can't afford to make the best choice for their children's education?

Wow.

Talkin Peace I think you might need to look at exactly what some of the super selectives are doing to assist or cover transport costs. You talk as if it hadn't occurred to grammar school heads that transport costs might be a problem.... Our school, for example, allows the full amount of the pupil premium to be used for transport and offers bursaries in addition.

Also, not having read the thread I don't know if the FSM numbers have been discussed, but they usually are, by Talkin peace and Hakluyt in particular, and I'm just wondering if they know the numbers of those on FSM attaining L5 at KS2 in relation to the numbers getting places at grammars? The problem there doesn't lie with the grammars or the grammar school system - it's a far deeper problem.

Amber. What can I do to help. Beyond paying a huge amount of tax what can I do.

Tell what have you done about it.

Portico all I want you to do is change your attitude. And perhaps get your facts right before posting.

HTH

It would be interesting to see how many people on this thread, benefited from either selective or private education?. I know Talkin was educated at a school that selected on the basis of Ancestry dating back to the Magna Carta!.

I also suspect Hakulyt was educated at a grammar school yet these are the most staunch opponents of education based on ability

. I will say something though about being educated in a Modern school, it makes you realise how stupid the vast majority of the population are (including yourself)! Seriously though I do agree Comprehensives/modern School give a better understanding about inequalities in education or society in general. DD2 can sometimes be in a " protected" bubble bought on by her grammar school, whereas DD1 was far more aware at her age about life (Modern School)

portico - I have a job which enables me to exert a small amount of influence on education policy, which I appreciate is unusual. I'm a school governor. I also try to challenge inaccurate and harmful opinions on education where possible.

It isn't so much the fact that you don't think you can challenge educational inequality that surprises me - rather the fact that you don't want to. Is that really what you meant, or did I misunderstand?

smokepole I went to a comprehensive school and then a state 6th form college (none of the state secondaries had their own 6th forms) then on to an RG university. Interestingly, my closest friend from university and I both got the same A Level grades in the same subjects. Her parents spent a bloody fortune on her education though at a selective girls' independent.

Evil said

Portico all I want you to do is change your attitude. And perhaps get your facts right before posting.

Exactly, what facts did I get wrong. I took you through the numbers.

Change my attitude, in what way!!!

Oh dear. You did not understand what high attainers are. You misinterpreted that as 18% getting 5 A*-C from a cohort of 229. You are basing your views on one piece of information and summising that a school is terrible based on that only.

At least attempt to understand data before trying to use it to support your argument.

AmbertheCat

I was a community governor in a poor performing comp, and as said earlier I was part of a wide ranging and great team that turned it around. I will revert back to it in autumn of 2015 after my Dc has sat the grammar 11+ - I gained some fulfillment in that role. I enjoyed improving reading levels (decoding and comprehension) for Y7s that came in with reading levels of 8 years. They rapidly caught up with their peers by middle of Year 8, and this was the most rewarding.

Therefore, I made changes at a micro-level. At a macro level, I do not have the energy or the desire to influence change. I will carry on as a governor, but I will expend more energy and resources in helping my children. I have spent the last ten years harvesting best resources, and use them on my children. I have also donated most of them to my dc's prior state primary.

In answer to your question, at a macro level, I do not particularly care. That is down to government to sort that out. Not me!!

Not much else to say.