How do a few comprehensive schools produce seem to produce successful people?

[Bahhumbug01]

Hi ,,

We live on the outskirts of London (Beckenham/Bromley postcode area) and have a young family. We are considering moving out to Edenbridge/Godstone/Crowhurst areas in the next few years. These towns all have decent comps, and excellent connections in to Central London for DH.

Our neighbours send both their DS to a Catholic school in the next town, some 12 miles away, which is accessible by tram and then involves a relatively short walk to school. The school has excellent sports facilities (on a par with some independent schools) and pastoral provision. Good academic results too. The comps in Bromley are quite poor on the whole. There is one outstanding boys gs but you have to tutor years ahead if you want to have a chance of getting DS in.

The RC school has an impressive list of alumni and I can't understand why (or how) the school has produced so many outstanding sportsmen, politicians, media types when it is just a faith comp. Is there a pecking order when it comes to comps, or is there some kind of selection involved? Does the same apply to some of the trendy North London comps too?
Also, is there no distance criteria involved for faith comps, but distance is important for 'normal' comps? It's all really confusing.

Me and DH attended normal schools (where everyone in the town went to the same school!!) out of London so are really green when it comes to London schools. We are actually a bit intimidated by it all which makes the idea of moving further out quite appealing.

Anyone else in same position, or struggling to understand the difference in admissions between different types of comps?

So no one else in the same position of not understanding why some comps are producing stellar results and alumni while most are barely any good?

Really no decent schools in Bromley? What about Langley Boys and Langley girls. Both have great results and fantastic facilities.

Why do you presume that most comp schools are barely any good?

I fall into that trap Ta1kinPeace, it's experience.

The comps in Kent are not really comps because the brightest children are creamed off to the grammar schools. Strongly suspect that the RC school does some selection too - possibly just that the parents can afford to send their children to the next town.

Anthea
How many comps do you have direct experience of in how many counties?
And how does one define "barely any good" ?

I think it depends on the type of families attending the comps and their connections.
A few years ago successful people were happy for their children to attend the local comp as they believed they would benefit.

Why the interrogation?

I said it was a trap!

A few years ago successful people were happy for their children to attend the local comp as they believed they would benefit.
In this County its Comps or fee paying
so the Comps have a full range of pupils.

In areas with lots of selective schools there are no comps

It's all about how the school encourages the children.

Some schools are happy just for students to reach the national average while others really take an interest in their future.

Selection by the back door - a state school can have an expensive uniform with blazers costing £50 etc. An expensive uniform puts some children out of the running if parents have to spend £200-£300 on uniform. Parents who are well off tend to have the money to buy houses near good state schools and the cycle of good results - well off families continues. Obviously not all children from well off families are committed to educational achievement and there are plenty of intelligent, committed children from poorer families who value education.

Actually, RC comp does no selection that I can see, and that is exactly the reason for my question. RC comp is located in outer Croydon nowhere near Beckenham (but accessible by tram). It has a really impressive alumni list for a comp. I don't understand how DN can send their boys there when it's so far and other boys applying must live much closer. I just don't get it.

Langley boys is actually not too bad and probably the best comp in Bromley.

And we're not really in Kent though are we? Beckenham certainly feels more like outer London and most kids go to comps around here.

Bahumbug
RC comp does no selection that I can see
Um, its Roman Catholic ie excludes 91% of the population. That's pretty darned selective from where I sit

It’s well known that faith schools are a class filtration system. Faith schools will have more middle class families that have played the system.

The drivers of a successful school are always multi factorial and high school performance is always a result of many details that each provide incremental advantages.

However, things to look out for are year groups that are not too large; low staff turnover; a degree of pupil selection; schools that are well embedded in local communities; schools with their own feeder school or with strong relationships with feeder schools.

Anonymity in any shape or form is a red flag.

We went to church from birth to 11 so we could go to an out-of-catchment faith school due to the religious character being important to us.

It was seen as much better than the local comprehensives and many of my academically-driven friends did the same.

What brizzledrizzle said: as has been noted on these boards before, the more barriers to entry there are to a school, the more middle class it becomes. With many faith schools, (or the ones near me at least) you have to "plan ahead" for 2, 3 or even 5 years with regular church attendance to qualify your DC for admission.

And there are many comprehensive schools across the country that were grammars before the education reforms of the 60s and a fair chunk of their illustrious alumni come from the selective era.

MariaNovella
So no Comp can be a successful school?
Because your criteria includes selection Comp

That’s not what I am saying at all, Talkin. I am not saying that my things to look for are necessities, just that they widely recognised to contribute to success.

Many comprehensive are selective.

Previously faith schools could demand that you put them first if you wanted a place there. A friend of mine was not allowed to do the 11 plus because she was going to a Catholic school. The success could be partly historic. Also any selection will improve a school because ambitious parents will do what needs to be done to get their dc into the school.

Many comprehensive are selective.
Then they are not comprehensives.
A Comprehensive school does not select. It takes in every child in the catchment area who is the right age.
Regardless of gonads, god or any other factor

It's great that this school has impressive alumni.

I have worked at an inner city comp for years. We get great results but no famous alumni as far as I know.

But then for me the fact that a kid I taught was my mum's specialist muse when she was in hospital, or that another boy started a gay pride event in the city, is more impressive than a list of famous people!

There you go, Talkin - you have given one common selection criterion of comprehensive schools!

What? Being able to get to them?
Do give over.