Tories shit all over the comprehensive system with a return to the 1950s and a nationwide 11+

[noblegiraffe]

That nice comp down the road that you had your eye on for your kid currently in primary?

BAM, now it's got an entrance exam and your kid is going to be bussed out to a secondary modern. We're staring down the barrel of a return to the two tier system across England.

Word on the street is that Theresa May, because she is a total fucking thoughtless idiot who doesn't have a clue about education and couldn't be arsed to read the Green Paper consultation responses from people who do, has kept in the imminent White Paper on grammar schools the option for current comprehensives to convert to grammar schools.

Heads will be preparing their applications to convert as we speak, because no school wants to miss the boat and become the secondary modern of the area.

Everyone with kids in primary should be very worried about this. Even if you think your kid should have a good shot at getting into the grammar, the test is unreliable.

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/government-set-allow-existing-schools-convert-grammar-status-white

flyingwithwings

Yes, I think the DfE tables show Trafford in a very good light when it comes to facilitating A-Levels and access to good university courses.
I don't see how MumTryingHerBest can argue otherwise.

Clavinova I don't see how MumTryingHerBest can argue otherwise.

I wasn't arguing anything. I asked a question:

Is 1/4 AAB good for a Grammar School?

That nice comp down the road that you had your eye on for your kid currently in primary?

BAM, now you have to buy a Very expensive house beside it to get in, so your kid is going to be bussed out to a bog standard comp.

BAM, now its a faith school, so haul your ass to church and pretend to make nice with the priest or your kid is going to be bussed out to a bog standard comp.

BAM, now its a grammar and your DC has a chance to go to it.

MumTryingHerBest
How would you analyse Surrey and Hampshire's A-Level performance compared to Trafford? Surrey and Hampshire have lower rates of fsm.

Sorry, not sure what happened for that to post twice. I have asked for second post to be deleted.

Anon1234567890 BAM, now its a grammar and your DC has a chance to go to it.

But only if you have the time/money for tutoring your DC and they pass the test with a score high enough to place them in the top 10%.

Clavinova If you name a few schools in those areas I will have a look.

For me, progress 8 is a better measure of how well the school is performing - 5 A* is no real achievement if you've creamed off the "clever", privately tutored wealthy children, which is pretty much what AGSB & AGGS do, whereas if your cohort includes all abilities and backgrounds it is a great result.

Trafford clearly has something other areas do not.
I suspect its the bright pupils from the areas around.

Does anybody have the up to date link to the DFE table that shows "cross border traffic" in schools ?

clavinova / mumtrying
Don't know about Surrey in detail, but here in Hampshire very few schools have their own 6th form and the catchments of the colleges are so huge and overlapping that fine point data analysis is rather tricky.

MumTryingHerBest
AAB in at least 2 facilitating A-Levels:

Trafford - 28.5%
Kent - 16.7%
Surrey - 14.4%
Hampshire - 13.8%
National Average - 13.9%

Mossbourne is quite selective at Sixth Form - some A-Levels have minimum entry requirements of A/A* at GCSE.

The comments about expensive catchment areas do seem to reflect urban areas. In a county where there are a lot of one-school towns or two schools that are considered good then it doesn't really apply.

Comps in wealthier areas do have an easier time but we seem to be jumping from that to say that the only way to get into a decent school is to be in a wealthy area. Sometimes a school really is good because it has a good Head and good teachers. There doesn't always have to be another reason behind it.

Clavinova - Mossbourne is quite selective at Sixth Form

Really? More so than the Trafford Grammar Schools which includes a faith critera for one?

only if you have the time/money for tutoring your DC and they pass the test with a score high enough to place them in the top 10%

Having time to read with DC every night or supporting their learning and development is pretty much within the control of parents.
If you have a child suitable for a grammar then at least you will have a possibility that wealthy comps or religious schools deny you.

Anon1234567890 If you have a child suitable for a grammar then at least you will have a possibility that wealthy comps or religious schools deny you.

I think the likelihood of that bright DC getting into the Grammar would very much depend on the admissions criteria for the individual Grammar schools.

You are aware that the admissions criteria for all existing Grammar Schools vary. I don't believe any details have yet been released for the proposed new Grammar Schools. Believe me, being bright doesn't guarantee a place when there are other criteria that have to be met also.

MumTryingHerBest
I only have time to look at Loreto Grammar and they have a minimum entry requirement of GCSE grade B for every A-Level except further maths - grade 7. Mossbourne state that some of their more demanding courses require As or A*s at GCSE but don't specify which - sciences and maths I assume. I don't think faith criteria is as important at Sixth Form as Year 7.

Can I ask a silly question? (Sorry if it's been covered already but can't find anything to suggest it has)

What if your children are already at senior age, therefore 'unaffected' by this, but their school converts into a grammar / SM while they are already there?

Like I said, sorry if this is a stupid question

tealstar
It will be like it was when the big conversions happened in the 70's
Existing kids stay put, new intake years are under the new rules.

Ok, I thought so. Thank you.

So irrespective of ability, some kids will be able to put that they went to a Grammar school on their CVs even if they wouldn't have actually got in!

Does anyone care which school someone went to? (Outside Eton etc?). I don't even name my schools on my CV.

Devilish... I don't know. But I would imagine that stating that you went to grammar school would reflect in some way on graduate applications and university applications...

I do know someone who said their husband liked having Harrogate Grammar on their CV as he thought it made him look intelligent - it's actually a comprehensive although (just to save anyone looking it up) I believe its considered very desirable.

So if dd's school eventually becomes a grammar, between now and when they start applying for uni/grad jobs, they will be able to quite truthfully say they went to * Grammar.

Ha ha, the whole thing's a joke. (Sorry to derail thread, OP)

It could impact negatively for top universities trying to increase their non-selective intake

(Actually universities don't care - places like Oxford & Cambridge are only interested in how much you love your subject & other top ones are interested in grades. They won't be swayed either way by a grammar.

They might be impressed if you cage out of a sink school with masses of A*'s - that tells them more about someone than being a grammar school alumnus