Best Place to Relocate for Grammar School.

[npnp05]

Hello all,

My elder daughter is getting into her Year-3 this September. We live in Bristol and are willing to relocate to an area which gives her the best chance to get into a Grammar School. She's bright, motivated and with a bit of luck, I am sure she will do well in her exams.

We are planning to buy a property a year after moving to the new area since we would like to give our children and us a chance to get used to the new place of living. We are planning to relocate at the end of this year or earlier if everything goes well.

There are no state-funded grammar schools in Bristol (pardon me if I am wrong) hence the decision to relocate.

Both my husband and I work from home so relocating anywhere in and around the South England wouldn't hurt our career too. Nevertheless, if given a chance, we would prefer a not-so-hyper-busy place to live.

Kindly guide me through this humongous process of finding good places to give our girls a chance to access grammar school education.

Thanks in advance!
Natie.

There are grammars in Poole and Bournemouth although it is a huge gamble as the other local schools are severely affected. Poole Grammar was also recently given a "requires improvement".

We have chosen to access the comprehensives in Dorset, Swanage Free school is also increasingly popular.

I'd go to Winchester. Much better comprehensives.

Huge risk with grammar area is that if they don't get into grammar the others are usually not so good.

Gloucestershire isn't far from you, and as others have mentioned we have a couple of mixed Grammars and several single sex.

Would it not make more sense to move into the catchment area of a good academic comprehensive? That way you know she would get into a good school and you wouldn't have to spend time and money on tutoring.

Live in Essex... Southend/Westcliff have two boys and two girls grammars as well as there being grammars in Chelmsford and Colchester in Essex more widely. Commute to London from Southend is 1hr

Hi OP I went to a Lincolnshire grammar school around 13 years ago. They take the top 15-20% depending on school not 25 % as suggested.

Typically students who are in top set for maths, English and science (around 30 or so out of generally 150 ) tend to get straight A's/A*s across all 11 GCSE's with the next 100 students getting all A's/B's. It was very rare for grade C's to be awarded. That said, coaching to pass the 11+ really isn't a thing - mainly due to the economic background if the area so it really is the brightest instead of those with money (there was a very nice,large mix of all economic backgrounds) .

However, I think I'm right in saying that generally the comprehensives are that great (well at least in the town's/villages) so it would be a risk for you to move , it's also not south like you asked and on the whole is not a particularly middle class area if that is what you're looking for.

Sorry that should have read comprehensives aren't that great. The one in my home town is shockingly poor, which is a real real shame.

West Kent, as mentioned upthread. We have one grammar in Tunbridge Wells and two (.one of which is super selective) in Tonbridge. Also easy commute to London, if relevant. There are also good non-grammar schools (Bennett and Uplands - both co-ed).

Hi there. We moved to Tunbridge Wells in Kent when our eldest 2 were babies. We've got 2 children currently at grammar school, one was at grammar now studying medicine at uni and the 4th will do her 11+ in September.

TW has 3 grammar school. TWGGS (the girls grammar) is catchment based. So if you pass and live within about 1.7miles, you're in (We fall in the category and have not moved for 17 years for this reason!!). TWGSB (boys grammar) is also a pass although the catchment is much bigger. Then there is Skinners (boys grammar) that is super-selective (top 10% of passes). Lots of parents also consider TGGS (Tonbridge Girls Grammar) and Judd (boys grammar in Tonbridge). The choice it literally amazing. And that's even before 2 excellent church schools (Bennett and St Gregs) and a plethora of other comps with a small area (Skinners Kent Academy and Hill View to name a few).

TW is cummutable to London although house prices can be expensive.

I have obviously been happy with grammar for my kids as it is the right environment for them. However it's not right for everyone - even bright children can feel like they're "failing" when alongside the super bright. Moving to an area that has a choice of different schools was key to us and we looked at them all.

Hope this helps!

Move to Lyme Regis. Great comprehensive, Colyton Grammar just down the road, by the sea and not too far from Bristol if you have family there.

npnp05 I see you live in Bristol. I went to BGS on a state funded place, due to reduced means but great entry results. Just missed out on a bursary. They are fantastic for supporting bright kids. Have you spoken to them?

Not all of Lincolnshire is grammar area.

I think, but am not sure, that Grantham grammars are super selective?

Not sure about Horncastle. Not sure about Skegness but Skegness grammar is usually undersubscribed. Gainsborough isn't super selective if you live within ten miles but is super selective if you live further away! But would you want to live in either Skegness or Gainsborough......probably not!

Sleaford another option.

Some of the comps in Lincoln are great, one in particular is better than the grammars, some are dire.

What happens to the failures in grammar school land?

Birmingham has grammar schools.

They either go to a dire secondary modern round here or get bussed out of area to a slightly better comp.

If you consider your daughter musical but haven't started any formal lessons by Year 3, then she is not musical.
Some schools will expect students to be playing two instruments by now. (Portsmouth Grammar School).

Also, you mention other children, are you prepared to move to an area that might suit one of your children, but might be a disaster for one or other of your children?

Torquay or Kent

What if she doesn't pass?

I moved to an area with excellent comps.......no risk and lots of time for dcs to grow up with less pressure.

Excellent comps would be a safer bet from the POV that it's hard to say with certainty that a year 3 kid would pass the eleven plus.

However comps are more likely than a grammar to go from being an excellent school to an average or even a shit school.

We looked at a comp rated good with a 65% gcse pass rate and good value added score when Dd was in year 6. By the time she was in year 8 the gcse pass rate had halved, is now in special measures. A change of head can make a massive difference. Whereas with a grammar at least the results are likely to remain good......though I suppose you could argue at times that just could be due to the kids being bright rather than necessarily good teaching.

I was coming on to suggest Poole. If you look at Wimborne you are close, and in catchment, for Parkstone Grammar. If you don't get into Grammar you then have QE, which is an excellent comp. As the 11+ is not compulsory, it does not have a massive impact on QE. Bournemouth, however, does suffer from The Grammar effect.
Corfe Hills used to be very good but is going through a tough time at the moment.
I would also say that this is an excellent place to live. We have been to the beach 4 times this week, I went sailing last night and saw a colony of seals (no really) and there is lots of countryside to explore. If you are more into shopping/city type things though it's not great, you might prefer one of the other suggestions. Good luck!

Portsmouth Grammar is a private school.

State schools are not allowed to 'expect ' let alone demand that a child has had music lessons.

And what you say Nonno is nonsense. A child can be very musical indeed but not be receiving formal lessons. One of my Dc starred lessons at 9 and, well, let's say is excelling at 15.

Have you considered boarding school? State boarding schools exist.

I am not in favour of grammars but, if you can move a bit further north Birmingham has both grammar and good comps.

Telford, if dd is musical Abraham Darby (a comp) has excellent music tuition and is linked to a grammar (Haberdasher Adams) children do move between the schools, not often, but it happens.

I do think you should look at 'schools' rather than grammar, there are some excellent schools that suit different children, not all grammar and if yo have the luxury of working from home you can pick an area with the best.