Tories pour millions into new grammars while state schools discuss the possibility of a 4 day week

[noblegiraffe]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/07/theresa-may-unveils-plans-new-generation-grammar-schools/

In a cowardly move, the Tories are publishing their White Paper on grammars before publishing the responses to the Green Paper which, the best thing Justine Greening could say about them was that they were 'not overwhelmingly negative'.

What a bunch of fucking shite. And where are they going to get the thousands of pounds required for free transport for golden ticket poor kids? The only potential money-saver here is that we know that the vast majority of poor kids don't get into grammars. Why not save this money and put it into the school that the poor kid would be going to originally? Then everyone would win, including the poor kid who isn't faced with a long commute, the poor kid who didn't get into the grammar, and the 90% of kids who aren't 'grammar material' (decided by a faulty test which puts kids in the wrong school aged 10) who would see more investment in their education which is desperately needed at the moment.

Yes I've recently been involved in several Headteacher recruitments noble so I'm well aware of the shortage. Even so, it's an integral part of a grammar school Head's job - not sure you appreciate the scope of the role and no particular reason why you should, if you're not familiar with grammars.

It's not the shortage of headteachers I'm referring to when I talk about the crisis in education, although a shortage of headteachers forms a part of it.

I'm worried at people on Mumsnet who think because their town has great comps this won't affect them. What grammar campaigners have been trying to do for years is to allow any free school to be selective. They know that secondary moderns are unpopular so they want a system where all the power is given to people who want grammars and the power to retain a comprehensive system is removed. Consultation will be along the lines of "If there was a grammar in your town would you want to send your child there?" and that will be presented as "people want a grammar here".

It doesn't matter how great your comp is, there will always be people who want their kids away from the ordinary kids. Can see a group of parents from prep schools setting up a grammar. Nothing to lose, they'll just go private if their kids fail - they won't use the secondary modern they've foisted on everyone else.

You watch, in a couple of years any safeguards will have been removed in the name of "easing regulatory burden" i.e any rights for those who want their town to remain comprehensive.

My only comfort is, that someday there will be a decent opposition again. Abolishing selection won't need a manifesto promise (sound familiar?), there can be a fake consultation (sound familiar?) and the rights of those towns and counties who would like to retain a grammar/secondary modern system can be trampled on (sound familiar?).

We seem to be crossing a lot of our posts noble but yes I'm well aware of all the issues facing schools.

goodbyestranger Thu 09-Mar-17 21:33:49 authors plural then Mum. Same difference. Yes the website says exactly what you'd expect it to say.

I haven't been able to find the newsletter but I'll keep looking.

So if you are saying that it is standard for the secondary schools to say that primary schools should not prepare DCs for the 11 plus exam, how exactly are they supposed to be helping FSM DCs pass the 11 plus test?

What exactly does the outreach programme involve. If it is just a case of informing DCs of the existance of the test and that they should sit it, it would be a bit pointless where I am as every single DC in my DCs year group sat the test including the FSM DCs.

HPFA
Hence why I mention Winchester as its a town with some very deprived areas and some mind numbingly wealthy areas that copes OK so long as there are no selective schools
but the frothers could ruin that for everybody

Then why on earth goodbye do you seem to think that there is spare capacity in the system for secondary heads to be spending more time in primary schools, and for primary schools to be spending any time on bullshit test preparation?

So can the kids from the deprived areas easily access the schools in the wealthy?

I am deeply worried that the school I work at will convert to a grammar. I look at the wide range of ability of kids that I teach and the thought of all but the top sets being booted out is depressing. The thought of only teaching the top ability range is depressing. However I may be forced to choose between teaching foundation and resit kids and teaching A-level and further maths. At the moment I can teach them all. Professionally, of course I want to teach the hard stuff.

I also worry about the effect on local school sixth forms. If a grammar starts hoovering up the local bright kids, I can see some sixth forms becoming unviable very quickly.

GreenGinger2 Thu 09-Mar-17 21:51:40 So can the kids from the deprived areas easily access the schools in the wealthy?

I'd say about as easily as they can Grammar Schools.

noblegiraffe I'm worried my DC1s school will go fully selective. If that happens then DC2 will have to go to a different school as there is no way they will score high enough due to SEN.

greenginger / mumtrying
Of course they can. Its called school catchments.
Stanmore is in Kings catchment
Kings Worthy is in Beaufort Catchment

Henry Beaufort Catchment - every child in the shaded area is entitled to a place no matter how rich, poor, brainy or brawny they are
www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/findaschool/schooldetails?dfesno=4174

Kings catchment - nice bits and manky bits
www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/findaschool/schooldetails?dfesno=4310

I am entirely expecting that our local leafy comp will become selective if conversion becomes allowable - protectively, not because they want to, but because who wants to be the secondary modern after everyone else has become the grammar?

but Grammars only work if they are less than 1 in 4 of schools
otherwise they are just comps
so its all a joke

Not much scope for adding grammars in this catchment after all
www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/findaschool/schooldetails?dfesno=5410

This is the message that we have to start getting out to people - that their good comp is under threat. They have no idea that the ultimate effect of these proposals is to leave people powerless to protect comprehensives even when the system has majority support in a particular area.

The thought of a grammar opening up around here is very depressing. We have two leafy comps, one faith and two less desirable comps which are (surprise surprise) where the majority of the council kids go. Nevertheless, these less desirable comps still have some more affluent catchment areas and many parents who believe in their local school rather than the myth of the leafys. The parents I know who are governors at these schools all have grammar material children. The school wouldn't just lose the children - it would lose the parents as well. A new grammar would mean that all these schools will be seen as second best. There are plenty of m/c parents who will hoover up the places. There are actually plenty of m/c parents who currently send their kids private after Junior who will also be thrown into the mix. The council kids won't get a look in and their currently less desirable comp will become even more less desirable and they will be further stigmatised as failures.

Fourmantent You're right but what people aren't getting yet is that the "leafy" comps will also be hit - that once we have grammars the new secondary moderns will have ability profiles that look more like comprehensives in poorer areas. They will then take on some of the characteristics of those schools in terms of lack of sixth form provision, teacher recruitment difficulties etc.

IRL I've started writing about some of this and trying to look at ways of bringing home the threat to people who aren't aware of it. Anyone who wants details is welcome to PM me.

Totally agree... the comp my DS goes to is fantastic. It has the full range of abilities. It would be a very different place if the top % were removed. The sixth forms would also be terribly affected. All our sixth forms accept B grade students and some also do re-take Maths and English. A new grammar would no doubt suck out most of the A grade students, leaving current sixth forms viewed as second best.

HPFA Fri 10-Mar-17 08:01:08 Fourmantent You're right but what people aren't getting yet is that the "leafy" comps will also be hit

I think there are a lot more points that parents are not getting, mainly the one that a grammar school does not mean more choice. It only means more choice for those DCs lucky enough to be allocated a place there. Do bear in mind that oversubscription appeals are far from rare. If their DC passes the exam, thereby being considered Grammar material, but doesn't get a place, where will they go?

HPFA, I agree. Also, where there are e.g. a couple of 'rival' good comprehensives at the moment there will be a significant fight over who will become the grammar, as the other option would be to gradually decline as the newly converted grammar pulls in HA children and the other 90% who would have gone to that school need a school place elsewhere.

So the grammar doesn't become an 'extra, good option for the few' - it becomes the engine by which provision for the many declines.

Fourmantent
The council kids won't get a look in
They will if 10% of places are reserved for them - 15 kids per year across 7 years is 105 kids.
Tunbridge Wells is leafy - 3 grammar schools, 2 faith schools and an outstanding modern school (it's listed as a comp but only has 2 high attainers at ks2 ??) with an excellent Progress 8 score.

In North Oxfordshire it's estimated that 50% of children are at a standard which would get them accepted into existing Grammars. No one is proposing to set up Grammar Schools for 50% - so are we really going to tell something like 40% of children that yes, they are grammar standard, but tough, you won't be offered a grammar education?

Luckily there are plenty of ways to identify the top-performing comprehensives. It really needs a campaign focussed on those schools and getting the message across to parents that they are now under threat. It very much depends on how far Heads are prepared to fight the battle rather than just looking at how their school can serve itself.

I mean I'd love to see St HousePrice school sending out a letter to all its parents giving the average Attainment 8 score of a secondary modern and saying "that is what your child's results would look like if we became a secondary modern"

Many Tory MPs are not happy about this. If we can convince then that every actual proposal for a grammar school will result in a bruising battle in which they will be forced to take sides between one group of parents and another they might start to ask themselves why they're being forced into this.