Is anyone wishing they could swap the pass of the 11 plus for a guarenteed place at a nice comp?

gaussgirl · 24/10/2008 16:51

Why would you specifically want to?

Original poster

UnfortunatelyMurderedMe · 24/10/2008 17:00

Because the comp seems more right dd, at the moment. But we are nowhere near the comp and the grammar is close.
And because I thought she wouldn't pass and she has, and I feel id happily pass up the place she will take up at the grammar for a secure place at the comp.

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childrenofthecornsilk · 24/10/2008 17:02

Why did you enter her then?

Original poster

UnfortunatelyMurderedMe · 24/10/2008 17:12

Because its a chance at a decent school, if I hadnt of then it would the 22% not including english and maths thats close to us.
I am pleased she has passed BUT I would happily swop with someone who was desperate for a grammar place.

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childrenofthecornsilk · 24/10/2008 17:34

Sorry I'm a bit confused. Would you rather she went to the local comp or the grammar?

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 24/10/2008 17:44

I think UMM means she'd rather all schools were good schools and she didn't have to worry about passing the 11+ or living in the right area.

childrenofthecornsilk · 24/10/2008 17:47

Ah that makes sense. Me too.

twinsetandpearls · 24/10/2008 17:51

I teach in a fantastic comprehensive and if my dd gets a place I would not be interested in the local grammar or a private option.

catweazle · 24/10/2008 18:21

Never in a million years. I got stuck in a "nice comp" in the 70s and I was relieved that my kids got to go to grammar.

twinsetandpearls · 24/10/2008 18:22

My nice comp has lots of kids who could have gone to the grammars, like me they recognise a fantastic school that offers a broad education.

stitch · 24/10/2008 18:26

think carefully. grammar schools suit some children perfectly. but can be nightmares for others. even though they passed the exam to get in.

Original poster

UnfortunatelyMurderedMe · 24/10/2008 18:55

What I mean is, dd1 has passed the 11plus, which, sort of, gives us a ticket to a good school. However, im not sure if its the RIGHT school for her, and if I could swop her grammar ticket for a place at the nice comp(with broad education) I would.
But you cant, and I wish you could.

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findtheriver · 25/10/2008 10:48

Yeap, I would hate to live in an area with grammar schools. The system is flawed, and creates an artificial division. I was brought up in an area where the grammar school system was being phased out. I took the 11 Plus exam and 'passed', my siblings took it and 'failed' and my parents sent us all to a new comp which had just opened up! Interestingly we all went on to University...
It's all so arbitrary apart from anything else. The grammar school will only have room for a certain number of kids, so one year your child might get in, and the next year they wouldn't, depending on what was going on with the birth rate the year they were born.
Stupid, outdated system.

catweazle · 25/10/2008 13:36

and the comprehensive system is so much better...

southeastalien · 25/10/2008 13:50

ooh she passed! well done her umm!

glitterball · 25/10/2008 13:56

my ds failed the 11plus. if we dont get him in on appeal (he only failed by 1 mark) the alternative is a pretty awful comp.

i want my ds to have the chance to go to university, as i did, but i know he will have next to no chance if he goes to the comp.

so we will probably have to move, & i'll have to change job, to a different area with better comps so he has the chance of a half decent education.

i would prefer to have no grammars, and a range of 'good', mixed ability, schools instead - i went to a (fairly rough) comp to 16, and the only issue i had with it was that we weren't put into streams based on ability until we were in year 10, which because all the class had to do the same work, for 3 years meant i was doing stuff that was much too easy for me - conversely other kids in the class were struggling to keep up.

glitterball · 25/10/2008 13:56

my ds failed the 11plus. if we dont get him in on appeal (he only failed by 1 mark) the alternative is a pretty awful comp.

i want my ds to have the chance to go to university, as i did, but i know he will have next to no chance if he goes to the comp.

so we will probably have to move, & i'll have to change job, to a different area with better comps so he has the chance of a half decent education.

i would prefer to have no grammars, and a range of 'good', mixed ability, schools instead - i went to a (fairly rough) comp to 16, and the only issue i had with it was that we weren't put into streams based on ability until we were in year 10, which because all the class had to do the same work, for 3 years meant i was doing stuff that was much too easy for me - conversely other kids in the class were struggling to keep up.

glitterball · 25/10/2008 13:57

apologies for double post

Original poster

UnfortunatelyMurderedMe · 25/10/2008 14:47

oh glitterball Good luck with the appeal.
Have you googled 11plus, theres a good website discussing the whole appeal thing.
Thanks SEA
Gearing myself up for the sink school and then her passing was more than a biting!

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idlingabout · 25/10/2008 14:51

Could I just point out that in any area with Grammar schools still in existence then any comp is not a true comp as the grammar will have creamed off all the majority of the high achievers. Comprehensives cannot be truly comprehensive with grammars in the vicinity. Neither are they truly comprehensive in areas with faith schools either as they select by the back door.

glitterball · 25/10/2008 14:53

thanks umm- well done to your dd, btw!

chances of an appeal are pretty slim in our area apparently, but if you dont try you'll never know.......just wish i'd got him a tutor now as seems the only children who passed at his school were those who have been tutored for last year or so.....relying on their primary (which is ofsted outstanding & has excellent sats results) & using the 11+ books at home clearly wasnt enough......ah, hindsight

Original poster

UnfortunatelyMurderedMe · 25/10/2008 15:03

Hmm, I dont know, Harmans dd was the only one in her year not to have a tutor, she passed and others (tutored) failed.
My dd screwed up more papers at home than she completed, and WOULD NOT do any over the summer and still scraped a pass.
I saw a 67% chance of an appeal working figure on that website somewhere, not sure if it was Kent or national though.
I dont think state primarys are allowed to tutor for the 11 plus, are they?
Did they head appeal on your behalf, will he/she be behind you in an appeal?

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glitterball · 25/10/2008 15:12

was only thinking re tutor as there doesnt seem to have been anyone at the school who passed who didnt have a tutor. even so, most of them scraped through- between 2&5 over the pass mark. however, half the school has them (its that kind of area )so there are obviously quite a few tutored kids who failed as well.

its the bexley 11 plus we're appealing, and the appeal success rates are really low - 6 successful appeals in 3 years am not sure re the head, she & i don't see eye to eye on many things, and she's quite anti 11 plus, so think we're up against it really.

MingMingtheWonderPet · 25/10/2008 15:25

I have just moved away from Bexley and at least a couple of the grammar schools there are mixed. We have moved to an area (Kent) where the only local grammar schools are single sex and that creates a whole load of extra issues. However I didn't feel able to base our family move on a possible 11+ pass in 8 years time. We'll see what happens at that time.

Original poster

UnfortunatelyMurderedMe · 25/10/2008 15:30

Ouch, you MIGHT be one of the few. Fingers crossed - from now till then!
My maths teacher(this is Kent) said that she knew someone who had got in on appeal even though he was sick on the paper and didnt answer very many Qs.
Our head is anti 11plus too(she didn't pass).
So much so that 2 children who went up to London to audition for Britains got Talent were named, individually in the schools newsletter last week...but this week, the 11plus kids didn't even get a collective Well Done/Commiserations
However, I could bet you my false teeth that next year she will be saying 12 out of 13 who sat the 11plus last year passed to the prospective pupils

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