So how do people...

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Come to terms with knowing your dc will be going to a less than desirable school?

We are tutoring in the hope of passing the 11 plus however I'm still not sure even if my dd did pass a grammar school would be the right fit anyway.

Realistically I don't think she will pass, which means the local academy.

Which by the way was ripped apart by Ofsted for poor teaching, lack of differentiation, uninspiring lessons and the worst gcse results in the area.

By low I mean less than 40 percent of a-c grades.

Has anyone had this and it been ok?

Right now im just feeling like crap that my "choices" are her sitting an exam she has no real hope of passing and possibly struggling in the school if she some how does

Or the worst school around .

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Out if county is all very well sadly morning traffic means it can take 30-40 mins just to go 4 or five miles. If I doubled that distance going out of country shed be leaving stupidly early and getting back.stupidly late. And although we have a good bus service several bus companies serve different areas so would mean two lots of bus passes

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Can I just please ask of anyone figures out where i'm talking about please don't say as I don't wish to be outed. Happy to answer questions in a pm though

[Buckslocal]

How far south of South bucks are you?

[Buckslocal]

X post I'll pm

[bugaboo218]

Do not know about secondary schools in Bucks!

The thing is the school may be turned around quickly, but if it isn't and it takes four_five years then it could be to late!

Independent school?

Private weekly tutoring for 11 plus?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

We are already paying a tutor and all bar one independent schools in a ten.mile radius (only r or 5 anyway ) are special schools

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Oh and no way could afford the fees anyway eityerbas a day or boarding student and doubt two working parents would qualify for a bursary

[cantkeepawayforever]

Just for interest, what is the split of high / medium / low attainers?

(pm me school name if you don't know how to find the info).

The thing is, as the 'other' school in a grammar area, raw GCSE results can look AWFUL because the school only has lower and some middle attainers: everyone else goes the the grammar. If you look at the results by previous attainment, it might not look quite so bad.

I did know a school that had genuinely appalling raw GCSE results .. until you worked out that the huge majority of the pupils started Year 7 with Level 3 or below in the old SATs levels. It had the unusual privilege of being pretty much bottom of the county league tables by absolute results, and came about 2nd and was lauded by the DfE for its exceptional progress results...

[Gileswithachainsaw]

How would i find that info out can't ?

[cantkeepawayforever]

OK:

Look up the school on the DfE website here

When in the school you want, scroll down the first page. You will see 'performance by prior attainment'.

Click on that. You will see, at the top, total number of pupils taking GCSE last year, and how many of them were high, medium, or low attainers.

You have to do the maths to find the % of each, but it gives you Progress 8 for each group etc.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

So what would this mean is it bad ?

[noblegiraffe]

That's pretty awful. No way to put a good spin on it. :(

[cantkeepawayforever]

Doesn't look great, tbh. It has a decent number of high attainers - some secondary moderns literally have a couple of % - and its progress 8 is poor across the board (slightly better for middle attainers but not great).

Very, very low Ebacc, too, which implies it isn't offering a good range of subjects - either no MFL for GCSE or compulsory RE without History or Geography would be my best guess.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Well bang goes my hope you experts would be able to see something positive

[noblegiraffe]

For comparison, I just looked at the worst school I could remember the name of, so bad its sponsors were kicked out and it's not as bad as that.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Oh god

[noblegiraffe]

Perhaps you could post for advice on how to stop your DD panicking in the tests? Does the tutor have any suggestions?

[cantkeepawayforever]

I have found a worse one - but it was a school in the final year of a phased closure after years in special measures, with a very tiny number of highly disadvantaged kids left....

[niknac1]

I think your child's future will be shaped by lots of things, school being just one, you are obviously very engaged and active in encouraging her future development. I think outside activities she enjoys will help to make her life happy and fulfilling. With your continued support she will make a good happy future for herself. There's always movement in secondary places, especially if there is grammar schools in the mix. Don't give up hope even if you don't get your desired school on offer day as a place may become available once appeals have been heard later. I really think the life skills you learn along the way are just as valuable as grades and your daughter can still get the grades she needs even if the league tables don't look encouraging. I hope it goes well for your daughter

[cantkeepawayforever]

[Sorry, not helpful - insensitive data nerd!]

Absolutely, how can we all help with panic? Or researching surrounding schools where you might have some hope of getting in?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

She's doing ok with the tutor and we've been doing alot of the work without a time limit so she can just get used to it bit she's always had difficulty in organising herself and is a chronic faffer so I guess it's all related. She is not some kind of genius but she's capable when she puts her mind to it. She can have a tendency to self sabotage but that's a maturity thing.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Thanks nik

[CookieDoughKid]

If it was me. I'd sell or rent out my property and rent in a county with good comprehensives. I'd rather live in a shoe box and Ive had very similar thoughts as you this year. I went back to work full time precisely to give me options including private school and renting my rooms in my home. It doesn't sit well with me either and no matter how people dress things up, a shit school near me is a shit school (not all in my town but this particular one). I have a ds that isn't grammar school material so I know where you are coming from.

[ChocolateWombat]

It is awful to feel powerless and totally out of control about something important like this.

However OP, you are seizing control. You are prepping for 11+, you are looking out of county and expecting to go on waiting lists. These are all things interested parents do, which help get their kids away from the bad schools. It is also possible to appeal for a place at a btter school - and people do manage to do it successfully.

And if nothing else works, Remember you can stay on waiting lists once school begins and places do come up....maybe not in Grammars for those who don't pass the exams, but in other, better schools. Not easy to move once started....but is possible.

I think that if you are totally determined to avoid a certain school, you will be able to avoid or at least escape it......you might have to go through a long stressful period first, but you will be able to avoid or escape if you are determined enough. It is just a shocking state of affairs that you have to go through this stress.....and that those who can't or don't have the knowledge to find alternatives end up stuck.

Keep working on it and looking into options and what you can do to improve your chances elsewhere or where there might be higher chances.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

cookie

We already live in a shoe box. We can't even afford a studio flat in the catchment areas we like.

I pick.up.as much overtime as I can however given I spend a large amount if time stuck in traffic as a result of desperately avoiding a terrible primary school means I can't work enough to afford to move and any extra I did earn would he taken up on childcare in the school location (no childninder in their right mind would drag all the mindees out to sit in traffic to bring her home ) and as dp doesn't drive we would be looking at best part of 300 pound a month in bus fares