Concerns about accepting a place if offered
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Bewildered
- Posts: 1806
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:29 pm
- Location: Berkshire
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LBS, Emotional Mum
Hi SJ,
Congratulations! Has receiving the offer clarified anything for you? Deepings School is definitely full so it would mean appealing if you wanted to change. I really would have no concerns at all about managing academically at Grammar. Most children there are "normal bright" children not superbrains. Plenty do not have the 3 level 5s at SATS and, after all the SATS levels are as much a measure of the quality of the teaching as the quality of the child. Your little lad should have no big problems with his 11 plus score. I would be inclined to be asking the primary school to explain the apparent lack of progress since he has been with them rather than questioning your son's ability!
Most children make new friendships at secondary school either as well as keeping up the old ones or instead of them. It would not be wise to select a school on the basis of current friendships - the future is always an unknown quantity - people move, a child's interests may change and develop in different directions, etc, etc.
I know you thought really long and hard and did all your homework and visits before making your selections. None of us know the future; go with what your investigations and instincts tell you and have faith and confidence in your son - it will help him have the confidence in himself that he really deserves to have.
Am thinking of you!
Congratulations! Has receiving the offer clarified anything for you? Deepings School is definitely full so it would mean appealing if you wanted to change. I really would have no concerns at all about managing academically at Grammar. Most children there are "normal bright" children not superbrains. Plenty do not have the 3 level 5s at SATS and, after all the SATS levels are as much a measure of the quality of the teaching as the quality of the child. Your little lad should have no big problems with his 11 plus score. I would be inclined to be asking the primary school to explain the apparent lack of progress since he has been with them rather than questioning your son's ability!
Most children make new friendships at secondary school either as well as keeping up the old ones or instead of them. It would not be wise to select a school on the basis of current friendships - the future is always an unknown quantity - people move, a child's interests may change and develop in different directions, etc, etc.
I know you thought really long and hard and did all your homework and visits before making your selections. None of us know the future; go with what your investigations and instincts tell you and have faith and confidence in your son - it will help him have the confidence in himself that he really deserves to have.
Am thinking of you!
Dear Alex,
Thank you for your post. It was nice to hear that not all children have 3 level 5s in SATS and excatly what I was thinking.... why there appeared to be no progress at this school. I know that a change of school can make a difference, but with his 11+ result I was perturbed that there appears to be very little progress.
I am also aware that when they go to secondary school new friendships develope and current friendships change, so that will not effect our decision about whether we decide to rethink our choice. I will speak to the SENCO at Spalding GS again just to clarify a few points, think long and hard about the logistics of travelling too and from school and the effect on little man and any extra curricular activities etc and where I feel he will be accepted for who he is and where I believe he will be happy. After all it is up to him to put the hard work in to get the results, but it is up to school to recognise his strengths and weaknesses and support and encourage him in both.
I am still looking and thinking about options, but as you said I looked long and hard before we completed our options and I know he has the ability to do well, his 11+ result proved that along with all his other SATS results prior to this.
I, like us all, just want our children to be happy.
Thank you for your post. It was nice to hear that not all children have 3 level 5s in SATS and excatly what I was thinking.... why there appeared to be no progress at this school. I know that a change of school can make a difference, but with his 11+ result I was perturbed that there appears to be very little progress.
I am also aware that when they go to secondary school new friendships develope and current friendships change, so that will not effect our decision about whether we decide to rethink our choice. I will speak to the SENCO at Spalding GS again just to clarify a few points, think long and hard about the logistics of travelling too and from school and the effect on little man and any extra curricular activities etc and where I feel he will be accepted for who he is and where I believe he will be happy. After all it is up to him to put the hard work in to get the results, but it is up to school to recognise his strengths and weaknesses and support and encourage him in both.
I am still looking and thinking about options, but as you said I looked long and hard before we completed our options and I know he has the ability to do well, his 11+ result proved that along with all his other SATS results prior to this.
I, like us all, just want our children to be happy.
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ANDREW THE POET
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:49 pm
- Location: Spalding, Lincolnshire
- Contact:
ANDREW THE POET
Listen to Alex SJ. She is a very wise lady? (don't know why I assume she's a lady. Are the fairer sex more intuitive about these things?) Anyway, I'm aware of many children who have succesfully gained places at SGS. They are, as Alex (wisely) points out, generally children of good academic ability rather than exceptionally gifted individuals. Grammar schools in Lincs take from an unusually wide ability range due to the relative lack of competition for places compared to other areas with grammar schools. So, relax and enjoy the moment. I don't think my son would forgive me if I recinded his grammar school place after all the work he put in last year - oh, he did get his place!!
See you at the school gates in September!
Andrew
See you at the school gates in September!
Andrew
Have to say that long journeys are a pain. Our oldest child is 18 miles away but goes by taxi which takes about 40 minutes. I have to collect if there are after school activities because she could not manage the rather complicated journey by public transport. At the moment do this once a week. Quite a lot of activities seem to go on at lunchtimes as well as after school as the school draws from a large area so transport is an issue for many if they miss the school busses.
It was partly the length of journey which made us decide on the comprehensive for number 2 this year. We too are wondering whether we have done the right thing - it does feel a bit strange to be passing up the opportunity of going to a grammar school and we do feel regrets about it whilst recognising that on balance the comp is the probably the right choice.
Hope your further enquiries make the decision easier for you. It might be wise to check with the admissions department how much Deepings School was oversubscribed by - it would give you an idea about how many appeals there may be. Most of the schools in your part of the world seem to have filled all their places and there is a steady stream of new arrivals.
Best wishes
It was partly the length of journey which made us decide on the comprehensive for number 2 this year. We too are wondering whether we have done the right thing - it does feel a bit strange to be passing up the opportunity of going to a grammar school and we do feel regrets about it whilst recognising that on balance the comp is the probably the right choice.
Hope your further enquiries make the decision easier for you. It might be wise to check with the admissions department how much Deepings School was oversubscribed by - it would give you an idea about how many appeals there may be. Most of the schools in your part of the world seem to have filled all their places and there is a steady stream of new arrivals.
Best wishes
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ANDREW THE POET
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:49 pm
- Location: Spalding, Lincolnshire
- Contact:
ANDREW THE POET
SJ ..... in all of our previous exchanges I hadn't realised that your 'natural' choice for secondary would have been the Deepings. Not withstanding the point I made in my last post, I would never have entertained the idea of SGS had Deepings been a clear option for us. Our alternative to SGS would have been Crowland's school. The Deepings is generally considered to be an excellent choice with grades on a par with SGS if you look purely at the upper sets. So, you clearly have something to think about. I did visit the school and was very impressed. I don't envy your position in this respect. DO consider the travel implications for 20+ miles each day with the restriction this places on after-school clubs etc. However, I sense that you may well have run out of options at this stage given Deepings oversubscription.
Sorry ... this probably isn't a lot of help!
ALEX ..... there are many who are old but will never be wise. Heh .. what's wrong with being thirty-something .... I was (once)! Good to hear from you Alex .... glad I got your sex right!!
A
Sorry ... this probably isn't a lot of help!
ALEX ..... there are many who are old but will never be wise. Heh .. what's wrong with being thirty-something .... I was (once)! Good to hear from you Alex .... glad I got your sex right!!
A