Gloucestershire grammar system

[Muddymiddle]

We're currently planning a move to Gloucestershire, and I've just realised this means we'll be negotiating the 11+ grammar system (we don'y have that in sussex, we're I'm from!)

Our kids are 5 and 8 so we have a few years to plan, but I'm a bit worried about it.. The 8 year old is youngest in her year (august born) and while bright, understandably is not near the top of the class.

The pressure of putting them under such big exams so young worries me, but also I suspect they'd thrive at grammar (my husband went to one and said it was the making of him)

Can anyone share advice on how best to prepare, what to expect?

Are the secondary schools bad because the brightest kids get hauled off to the grammars?

Where in Gloucestershire would you be moving? Generally the comps are great, some amazingly so!
Most children have tutoring to get in and work through a lot of past papers.

Move to the North Cotswolds. The Cotswold School and Chipping Campden School are both excellent comprehensives.

Where are you going to please ? In some areas competition is fierce for grammars esp now vat on school fees

So that's a good question, we're not sure yet!

Currently liking the rural areas near stroud/cirencester/malmesbury, (trying to find a village home with a big garden for under £700k, probably unrealistic!)

The thought of having to put children through tutoring to get in really irritates me (such an antiquated system, totally unfit for modern times!) But i'm not going to be able to change it am I, so I guess we have to get tutors too, when the time comes. Yikes

Thank you - we hadn't been looking that far north, but would definitely consider it for the right secondary schools.

Malmesbury is Wiltshire & has a great school. Cirencester also has Deer Park( very good) but access to grammar if you want.

If you don't like the grammar system then don't put them through it? It's your choice.

I live in Glos and this is something we need to think about for our son but if we don't feel its right then there is still plenty of choice for secondary schools. Only a handful of each class at our primary go onto grammar. It's not really a big issue

There aren’t that many grammar schools in Gloucestershire actually - most kids go to state comps but grammar schools are available if you want them and have clever kids, and can afford the tutoring usually needed to get in!

Good to hear there's plenty of secondary schools.

It's a bit of a minefield coming from an area where there are just comps - we have friends in Kent who are currently preparing their son for 11+, and the poor kid is so stressed.

There are a variety of different schools in Gloucestershire. The grammars do tend to cream off a lot of the brightest kids, and take more of them at Sixth form level as well. However, the atmosphere there doesn't suit everyone so not all the bright kids will go there. Tutoring or not, the system is not 100% reliable - a lot of very bright kids miss out on places (and do fine elsewhere!)

There are some excellent comprehensives as well (although the catchment areas are very tight, especially in Cheltenham), so you need to pick your location carefully.

Gloucestershire doesn't have that many grammar schools, but it does have some excellent comps. I wouldn't let the grammars put you off, just be mindful when house hunting.

DH went to The Cotswold School in Bourton on the Water. FiL would travel to London once or twice a week from Kemble. They lived, still do, in between, but that is still about 10 miles from each. They are also between Ciren and Cheltenham for shopping, and handy-ish for the M5. MiL used to work in Gloucester.

If you are any distance from the achool your kids go to (eg village to grammar in one od the cities) be aware that the school bus is expensive and the pick up times can be brutally early.

When my two found out the time (can't remember now but it wasn't even this village, it was the next one) they refused point blank to do the 11 plus! (And all their pals were going to the nearby comp, 3 miles away)

It’s not the same system as Kent. Only a few people from each class even take the 11+, let alone go to one of the 6 grammars, so if you don’t fancy it, don’t do it. Basically they probably need to be ‘on the top table’ to pass and nearly everyone who takes it has tutoring. Age is taken into account so that shouldn’t be a factor - they apply a formula.

You’re talking like your kids have no option but to sit the 11+. You realise it is totally optional don’t you? Most kids don’t bother. There are lots of very good comprehensives in Gloucestershire.

The competition for grammar schools is more fierce than ever. The Gloucestershire grammars mostly don’t have catchment areas so people apply from all over the country. If your kids are top in their class they’re unlikely to get in. Everyone I know who has got in recently has had an enormous amount of tutoring.

This is so useful thank you, the school bus here to the two local comps is free, so I wouldn't have even thought of this!

Oh wow ok, I thought that every kid sat it, I didn't know they don't have to, thanks for clarifying

It does sound a lot like Kent really; a ludicrous, old-fashioned system pressuring kids unnecessarily and depriving the comprehensives of their potential brightest kids (and keenest parents..!)

Ok that's fascinating that age is taken into account. This thread has been tremendously enlightening!

I’d recommend looking at suitable schools on an individual basis. I have 3 dc, two went to grammar and one to comp because it was right for each of them at the time. It’s your personal choice whether to enter the 11+ or not, there really aren’t that many who do sit it.

I have two at different Gloucestershire grammars. While they are very popular, not all children sit the exam to gain places at these school. In my children’s small primary school 15/22 sat the exam in the year group and 6 gained places.

We went the grammar route as out local comprehensive is dire, as are many in county. There are, of course, some excellent ones but their catchments come with pricey house tags.

Both Pates (mixed) & Denmark Road (girls) have introduced a catchment for 10% of the children sitting the exam to help get more local children into their schools. Children come from very far, some travelling 3 hours a day on coaches and some were falling asleep at school. These heads are trying to help stop this by introducing this new measure.

Yes - most grammar areas have some kind of age adjustment on the scores.

I don’t think Glos. is much like Kent because there are fewer grammar schools.

It's not really comparable to Kent or Bucks @Muddymiddle , as the proportion of Grammar Schools is lower and until recently none of them had catchment so take students from a much wider area. It's also ranked rather than you having to achieve a certain mark, hence the fierce competition, everyone is aiming to be in the top 400 to guarantee a space...
How've what it does mean is historically, the local comprehensive have suffered less with having the "top" taken out. This is reflected in their results and progress scores.
It's worth having a look at areas and schools and also what you want in terms of a school in terms of curriculum provision and ethos. They vary, and grammar doesn't always mean more appropriate.

Another Gloucestershire resident here. My son took the grammar test (and had all the associated tutoring that made year 5 rubbish) because his friends were doing it. However, he wanted to go to our local (outstanding) comp so he didn’t try as hard as some of his mates. He got a place at the furthest away grammar school from us, and made it clear that there was no way he was getting up that early for a bus! He’s very happy at the local comp, where there are still a lot of very bright kids.

Since you’re moving house into the area, I’d do your schools research and move to an area close to a comprehensive school that would suit your children. Then you can still take the tests if the kids want to, but have options in case they don’t.

This is invaluable advice, thank you

Thank you, that really helps clarify things

I think on Kent most kids take the 11+ and a quarter of kids go to grammar. In Glos it's more like 5% go and from some primary schools hardly any kids even take the test. The competition is fierce and tutoring is very common. There are private schools that stop at year 6 and prep for the 11+. There are a lot of kids from our of county; Bristol, Swindon etc but a couple of the grammars have very recently introduced catchments on some of their places.

This doesn't really effect the comps as so few kids are taken out. The comprehensives range from best in the country to dire mainly based on how affluent the area is. Cheltenham and Cotswolds have better performing comps than Gloucester or the Forest. A lot of kids in the catchments of the very best comps don't bother with the 11+.