Intrigued by the 'bright child will succeed in any school'

[findasolution]

This comment fascinates me. I am a long time Mumsnet user (name changed), making my first post as an OP.

I was a relatively bright child, straight As up to 3rd year of senior school (in old money), when things started to go wrong.

I got tired of being bullied for being smart and driven, lost my confidence to in being different and dumbed down/rebelled to fit in, resulting in leaving school with 4 O levels - way below my potential.

My mum sent me to a local comprehensive (West Midlands) because it used to be a 'grammar'. Such was the due diligence 30 plus years ago . Couple of years after I left, each entry year was closed to allow the school to run out before the school closed, premises bought...at least there was a reason behind the teachers (most, not all) being completely disengaged with us.

Anyway, that's my background, and I know this is not reflective of most schools today. With so many making choices where they can, by religion; location; intelligence; cost etc allowing), I am really interested in people's opinions on how children can definitely achieve their full potential in any given secondary environment, and therefore considering alternatives to their local state schools is not necessary...

Skilled tradesmen around here (rural, low wages the norm) expect to earn around £180-200 per day, and to pay their labour £60-70. Hence I am about to pay a brilliant and very hard-working plasterer £3800 for just under three weeks outdoor work in appalling weather. He's busy (we waited three months for the slot) because he is a good craftsman, tidy, prompt and cheerful. His maths are up to the estimating, and the purchase of materials, and the time-weather reckoning that he has to calculate; his English is good enough for his admin. I didn't ask about his GCSE passes, but he did say he would hate an office job. Not everyone wants a job that's "normal", or does "normal" equate to "professional"? He probably thinks he's doing okay.

Popping back to share some information- I've just given 3 of ds's friends a lift. All grammar boys, one at a particularly highly regarded school. All the schools have a very high "on to University" %age. And all three offer double award science to the lower sets.

Not sure what this means, if anything. But I thought it was interesting.

My daughter, potential medic, did double science by choice. Has not been a problem for her in Y12 doing Chemistry and Biology. She thinks she was able to enjoy a broader curriculum at GCSE. She would have taken 'Umbridge' as we say on MN at being forced to do triple.

I know that this is about choice, though. She had a choice; others don't, and that's a shame.

BTW, no stealth boast intended as the gap between the desire to study medicine and actually getting in is so vast and we are realistically negative about her chances. I just intended showing that the better double award science GCSEs were quite good preparation for sixth form.