Cranbrook school: pipe dream, nightmare or worth a go?

[goddessofplenty]

Does anyone have any recent experience of getting their DC into Cranbrook/what it’s like there? Including boarding. About five years ago I found a thread on how it had hit the skids a bit but I can’t see if that’s changed. I know there’s a new Head who has just come in but that’s it and if I’m going to make my DD do loads of extra work to try and get in I’d like to know if it’s going to be worth it!!

It is interesting that even in an average, Grammar School with a 25% ability top range cohort cut off there can be a couple year 11's who fail to attain a grade 4 in English/Maths.

I find this a peculiar outcome because I always believed passing the 11+ Exam would roughly be equitable to attaining a grade 4 in certainly English . Thus, how can some pupils go though 5 years in a 'Selective' School environment and come out with academic standards the same or lower than when they went in.

11+ Pass in English roughly equates to a grade 4 GCSE !

Two options then I guess (ignoring significant upheavals in life etc)

1. Tutored within an inch of their life to get in and then they've struggled every second of the day
2. The schools failed them.

I reckon it's more 1 than 2 but probably some 2s!