Moving for a Grammer Shool, Where?

[11PlusGirl]

Hi,

We are in south harrow
I can't see many options from here
only HB with some other schools with limited seats
My daughter is good in study but not best.

We are wondering if we can move so we increase the changes
I feel Watford Grammer school will be best to move
Tiffin would be tough if we move to Richmond
Reading ? ,
So where should I move?
How many grammer schools I can cover from Reading
list of grammer schools in Reading?
or Watford will be best to move
I heard HB has great expectation, they can kick you out if you do not perform according to them.

So Please advise on

HB ?
Moving to Watford ?
Moving to Reading ?
Grammer Schools in Reading?

Thank you

You mean grammar?

I think the question is not where, but why? You have said that your dd is "good in study but not the best". How would you feel if she didn't get into a grammar school?

Surely she would be better off in an environment that caters well for children of all abilities - high fliers or otherwise.

Obviously she means grammar, nolim. Did you really need to clarify, or were you just trying to be an arse.

You say your daughter is "good in study but not the best" Are you really sure a grammar is the right place for her? Tiffin and the other super selective GS take the top 5% or thereabouts. I think in areas with a full grammar system such as Kent its more like the top 25%

I think it would make more sense to move into the catchment of a very good comprehensive.

I think you need to make an objective assessment of how strong your DD is academically and how certain she is to get into a grammar school. The reason for that is that grammar schools are generally great (over simplification of course) if you're in them but a lot less great in their impact on the surrounding schools.

It's one thing to live in a "grammar county" and deal with the situation but to actively decide to move to a grammar area you need to be very sure your DD will pass the 11+ (take a look at many threads here to illustrate how massively stressful the whole process is) because if there is any doubt about that, honestly, my advice would be to find an excellent comp and move into its catchment so that she will be stretched regardless of how she does in one exam in Yr 6.

"my advice would be to find an excellent comp and move into its catchment so that she will be stretched regardless of how she does in one exam in Yr 6."

That would be my advice too. I live in one of the areas you listed & my dd now goes to school out of county. There is a big difference between a grammar county & a town with one or two super selectives - if you happen to end up in the latter fair enough but I think it would be madness to move there specifically for schooling.

Thanks for your replies
She is good in every area
She plays tennis, won medals in Ruislip/Watford festivals for speech and drama.
I need to check her academically as well, will go for some mock exams before making any decision.
When I hear top x% goes in grammar schools then I get little worried
I am sure she will get success but to increase chance in another school rather than just HB, I should move (I know moving is hard as I got my own house), All we have to try our best for kids, either it work or not.

Thanks

Look at Slough and Bucks. Both take everyone who passes the 11+ exam, and the exam is designed so that about 30% pass.

The cut-off for WGGS was ridiculously high last year (approx top 2%). Don't forget that there are fewer than 50 academic places available per year.

Unless you are planning to move within 300m of the school to try for a community place?

I also came to suggest Slough. If you moved into the catchment of Baylis Court you would have a good back up plan if she doesn't pass 11+. As said by PP, Slough grammars are less selective than Tiffin/Kendrick.

Is it just DD? If there is a DS also in the mix maybe better to be in catchment for Langley Academy.

If you can get into Watford, your DD would be fine as it's not fully selective and they do very well with a mixed range of girls. They do like their pupils to be 'academic', but have strong music and sports departments as well.
Make sure you are in a catchment area (Maybe close to Nower Hill for a back up?) and register your DD for the music exam as well as the academic one.

The grammar schools in Reading are very selective - and then your options for state schools in Reading are not good if you don't get a place. I certainly wouldn't risk a house move on that. However bright your daughter is it can go wrong on the day.

In the Aylesbury Vale area of Buckinghamshire only 16% passed!!! It is not designed to allow 30% to pass! It is designed to allow the number that get the qualifying mark to pass and these are not all a Buckinghamshire residents. However, there are more children passing in the South of Bucks than the North. From Harrow you could take the Bucks 11+ and commute to Dr Challoners High at Little Chalfont. That's a high risk strategy. However, Bucks Grammars are easier to get into and I would look at Aylesbury, Chesham and High Wycome. However, the secondary moderns are not so hot!! You need to do your homework to see where the better ones are.

I think your child should go to the open evenings of the grammar schools you are thinking of. Sometimes a child gets a good feeling about a school once they visit the school. Then you could move to the catchment area.

There are two excellent girls grammars in Southend, Essex which give priority admission (if pass mark achieved) to those living in the catchment.

I am surprised no-one has said Sutton. There is Nonsuch and Wallington girls and some very bright sparks get into Tiffins Girls living there too.

Even if your daughter is bright enough for grammar would it actually suit her the best? I went to Kendrick some years ago and found it didn't suit me at all, I was bright but no genius and hated the academic pressure. Sports facilities were hopeless and only academic achievement was really celebrated..
I would only send my children now into that environment if they were super bright and more importantly loved the academic side above all else..

If you are looking or a grammar then South Bucks is not a bad pace to start. Not too far from where you are now and not horrendously difficult to get a qualifying mark. The grammars in Bucks are not. 'Supers selectives' but do seem to be pretty good.

reallife I dont think Sutton is in the Tiffin priority area so any girl living there wouldn't get in.

my friend's daughter got space in Southend, Essex but it is too far for me, but still will go for open day.
Thanks about the Kendrick.
I will start going in open day, one is on 30/4 for Kendrick
such a nice forum, get good advice :)

Kent and Sutton. Avoid Surrey ( full of good private schools) Look at distribution of grammar schools on map and see why.