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

Ha ha yeah true Devilish.

I'm not that over-invested in what school is on my dc's CV one day. But I know a lot of parents who are.

I happen to think the whole proposal is a joke. I'm so, so glad that my two won't have to do the 11 plus; Year 6 SATS are pressure enough. I'm also pleased that my dds won't be caught up in some deeply archaic, divisive system where their brighter friends (and dd1 would probably have been in this cohort) will be sent to one school and their 'less able' peers will be sent somewhere else. Labelled at the age of 11.

We met some people on holiday who asked how much the fees were at Peter Symonds (DD was wearing one of their sweatshirts)
The name and the crest is the thing

Ta1kinPeace ahhhh Peter Symonds my old 6th Form!

flyingwithwings - just out of interest, are there figures for the numbers of pupils who enter Loreto Grammar school from the fee paying prep?

Bigmack here are the numbers for admission to Loreto Grammar school from the prep ! (Niece came from the Prep)

2013 19 admissions
2014 21
2015 14
2016 12 Total admissions last four years 66/584 11% of Loreto Grammar's intake was from the prep !

"Having time to read with DC every night or supporting their learning and development is pretty much within the control of parents."

I know three parents who have got children into the local super selective grammars.

Child one: attended a competitive private prep and got into grammar via the 13+ after failing at 11+ and having extensive tutoring as well as being in a private prep.

Child two: mother is a teacher. He had specific 11+ tutoring at several times a week from year 4 onwards

Child three: mother is a teacher. He had tutoring at home and also attended a weekly 3 hour small group tutoring session focused on 11+, for a year prior to sitting the test.

It really, really isn't just a bit of reading and a few number games for a stab at the grammars near us. It's the key stage 3 maths curriculum and learning how to write a good essay.

Thanks - How many pupils are in the prep y6 on average?

Who does May think she is?
How can she have the right to start an expensive consultation - the Green Paper, and then completely disregard it?
Do we not have the democratic right to hear the results /outcome of that consultation?
This is a shocking waste of resources, undemocratically spent.

Keir Starmer was interviewed in Saturday's Guardian. He said that of the people he talked to - employers etc. the big problem was a skills shortage. We have always done OK by our very academic children, but there is a huge tail of underachievement, and May's bright idea to turn the clock back to a system which benefited her, but failed a majority, will not do anything to address that.

Big mack "23-25" pupils in Prep 6 on average..