Grammar stream in archbishop’s

[askingneverhurt]

Morning parents

Does anybody know if there is a grammar stream at Archbshop’s in Canterbury?

I have a very capable child who likes archbishop’s and would need to be challenged academically, but I don’t remember them mentioning a grammar stream.

thank you x

Why would they need a grammar stream? Schools are quite capable of challenging without a grammar stream.

As @sashhsays, many secondary schools don't have a grammar stream. The problem of a stream is it assumes a high level of attainment in all subjects, whereas a child might be very talented in maths but weaker in English, for example.

Most secondary schools set for at least maths, and often for more subjects than that. A good school will stretch their bright pupils.

Did you look round the school? Have you examined the website carefully? What is their progress and attainment score for higher attainers? (check this here: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/)

Do you know anyone with a child at the school that you could talk to?

It is half term so it won't be possible to ask the school - but it is also the final day for submission of the CAF - how come you are only thinking about this now?

My question wasn’t whether we needed them or not my question was does the school have it?

What made you think I was only thinking about it now?

where did I say that?

my form has been submitted. It’s just a question

thank you.

The answer to your question is easily found on the school website, in

Information > Policies

https://archbishop.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/document/DRAFT-Curriculum-Policy-Updated-September-2024.pdf?t=1729082291

"Setting Arrangements

Students are taught in ability groups in English, Mathematics, Science and based on data collected from CAT4 scores and teacher assessments. Sets are reviewed regularly to ensure that students are making best progress.

In Key Stage 3, students will also now be setted within Humanities from Year 8 onwards. In addition, students will also be setted in Spanish in Key Stage 3."

The answer to the question of whether there is a grammar stream is no.

These setting arrangements sound much better than a "grammar stream". If you just have a "grammar stream", then only 30 kids get to be in it, and they have to be good at all subjects. Not good if your child happens to be number 31, or 15th at maths but 40th at English. If they follow a different curriculum or pace to the rest, it's difficult for anyone to move into that stream.

With setting, regularly reviewed, things are a lot more fluid, and there's much more scope for kids to be in set 1 for one thing and set 2 for another.

No they don't.

It is an old fashioned idea that used to exist in secondary modern schools that had children who passed their 11+ but couldn't go to grammar schools due to things like the cost of the uniform or bus fares.

Most schools these days stretch all pupils by putting them in sets according to their ability in individual subjects.

As @LetItGoToRuin says this is easily found on the website.

Archbishops is a Secondary Modern, though. It's a 'high school' in a fully selective system (25% go to the Canterbury grammars), albeit one with religion being part of the admissions criteria.