112 leaves in dilemma!!

[sanshal]

To be honest, it is a failing of the system that grammar education is not available in every county. In Bedford, for example, you either go indie or comprehensive - no grammar school for miles and certainly not in catchment.

exactly!

[Apple10]

However, one must bear in mind that no-one is being forced to apply to selective schools. Parents apply with all the background knowledge.
If one feel that the current system is failing then the comprehensives are always there.......no competition at all..........
It's us parents who create these difficult situations. I'm sure all dcs would be happy and flourish in whichever school they go to.

[Booklady]

I'm sure all dcs would be happy and flourish in whichever school they go to.

Not sure that can be said of every school! How about the failing catchment upper school which is in and out of special measures on a regular basis !!?

[Kiwimum]

But for people who live a good 10 miles plus away, what right do they have to send their kids to state schools in Slough and deny local children the chance to receive a grammar school education?

The law gives them the right to apply to any state school they wish to attend, the taxes they pay to fund these school gives them the right to apply, the schools own admission criteria give them the right to apply.... perhaps if you don't like your local schools admission criteria you could apply for your child to attend any state school you wish - doesn't mean they will get in of course!

[Kiwimum]

Sorry twilgs - just realised that your thread was completely hi-jacked.
I don't know anything about appealing in Berks but perhaps you should post in the appeals section where you might get a more helpful response.

[tiffinboys]

But for people who live a good 10 miles plus away, what right do they have to send their kids to state schools in Slough and deny local children the chance to receive a grammar school education?

The law gives them the right to apply to any state school they wish to attend, the taxes they pay to fund these school gives them the right to apply, the schools own admission criteria give them the right to apply.... perhaps if you don't like your local schools admission criteria you could apply for your child to attend any state school you wish - doesn't mean they will get in of course!

Well said... All Grammar Schols should follow only Open Selection on merit. All other criterion (catchment, admission area, distance to school) should be abolished.

That way, it would be fair to all. Right now, we have schools with Open Selection (like Tiffins in Kingston where people come from as far away as Slough/Southall) and schools which have narrow minded catchment areas (like Langley in Slough and Watford Grammars, Newstead in Redbridge etc. where children from other areas are denied places and in some cases they can not even enter for test).

[Rob Clark]

most grammar schools up and down the country will accept applications from all candidates irrespective of their geographical locations

This isn’t actually correct, you know. Some areas do and some areas don’t.

Personally, I would have thought a family whose DC gets into a GS miles away would be better off moving closer to the school rather than travel for hours.

[Looking for help]

It's a difficult one - my older children attended GS in Slough, and travelled for 15 miles to get there.

In my opinion, the problem is with the other schools not being up to scratch. If there had been a suitable school closer to home, we would have been fine with it, but the standard of our catchment school at the time was so poor.

I don't believe in increasing the number of grammar schools, but I do believe in improving the quality of all schools to ensure all children have a chance at all schools.

My youngest also travels a bit to get to school for the same reason, and we have moved to accommodate his travelling, just as well we didn't move nearer to Slough or we'd have been even more fed up when he didn't pass the 11+

[BSG]

A state school should serve the area that it is located in.

Is that statement too radical for you Southall / Hounslow people?

A lot of what has been written in these posts about grammar schools (that they should select on test scores only and not on catchment), are applicable, in my view, only for private schools; the likes of Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

If you feel so badly that a grammar school is the be all and end all, why don't you petition your local MP (Virendra Sharma or Seema Malhotra) to try and get selective schools back in your area?

By the way, as has been stated previously, Buckinghamshire Grammars apply a catchment area in their admissions policy. But surely, according to the people posting here, Bucks know nothing about how Grammar Schools should operate!

[dlb]

If the grammar school has no catchment, then anyone is eligible to apply. It is not the parents that set the admissions criteria. Parents applying from out of area are only doing what they feel is best for their child - in giving them an opportunity to attend a grammar school. Unfortunately, my local grammar is Tiffin Boys and Girls and there are applicants from all over London etc. Over 1700 boys sat the boys exam in November. Therefore, I will also apply to other grammar schools out of my area to give my child a shot at a grammar school. Residents of Slough for example, can also apply out of area to other grammar schools - so the pros and cons applies both ways.