Advice on choice of schools - indie or Grammar?

[Loopyloulou]

all A's apart from a suprising B in Ancient Greek

Exam results in the classics, and especially Ancient Greek, are very interesting. Ancient Greek is often perceived as one of the most difficult subjects, but actually has one of the highest exam outcomes in terms of grades. I think your brother's relative failure in that subject probably reflects the competition, ie the fact that Ancient Greek is almost unknown in the state sector.

[sj355]

all A's apart from a suprising B in Ancient Greek

Exam results in the classics, and especially Ancient Greek, are very interesting. Ancient Greek is often perceived as one of the most difficult subjects, but actually has one of the highest exam outcomes in terms of grades. I think your brother's relative failure in that subject probably reflects the competition, ie the fact that Ancient Greek is almost unknown in the state sector.

Mmm, the problem is that my brorther went to one of the top private (and selective) schools in Athens, and in any case at that time we were taught Ancient Greek throughout secondary school for a full six years (well since we were in Greece that is hardly suprising!). He should have done better (not that anyone minded at the time!)

[Loopyloulou]

Yes I don't disagree (and he certainly ought to have done better!) but my point is that Ancient Greek is the only subject which is almost unique to independent schools, with almost no grammars offering it (do any?) so your brother therefore faced stiffer competition there than in other subjects which would also be studied at grammars (modern greek is of course yet another story).

[sj355]

Yes I don't disagree (and he certainly ought to have done better!) but my point is that Ancient Greek is the only subject which is almost unique to independent schools, with almost no grammars offering it (do any?) so your brother therefore faced stiffer competition there than in other subjects which would also be studied at grammars (modern greek is of course yet another story)

You have lost me. Exactly the opposite is true: you face more competition when something is taught at both types of schools and therefore more people take the exam.
In any case this is irrelevant here: marking of A levels is not comperative but absolute. You have either made the grade or not; the grade boundaries do not move depending on how well the others have done.

No I do not know of many grammars in England that still offer Ancient Greek (which is most certainly a pity). But I a most certainly know of hundends of schools in Greece that do teach Ancient Greek. A pity we do not go for the English A levels on the subject!

[Loopyloulou]

Sorry, I didn't explain myself very well. You do indeed face more competition if a subject is more widely taught, but if the subject is limited to the independent sector then the competition is stronger. This is proved by the increased proportion of "A" grades awarded for Ancient Greek compared to other subjects.
So your brother's poor showing in the subject really does stand out!

[sj355]

This is proved by the increased proportion of "A" grades awarded for Ancient Greek compared to other subjects.
So your brother's poor showing in the subject really does stand out!

[/quote]

Oh, it does but not because he too is privately educated (or rather well educated/taught; the latter is not a subset group to the former despite the fact that some people seem to be married to this fiction. Not even in this country -yet). The damning part is that he is Greek! What the h..l!!

[T.i.p.s.y]

I think students achieve mainly A's in Ancient Greek because the amount of pupils taking it to A'level is miniscule - generally not more than 10 in a year group - and examiners probably spend more time marking the papers accurately. I may be wrong, but I assume there are very few teachers who specialise in Ancient Greek and as such I would expect them to be very good and passionate about their specialised field. There are so many Maths, History, English teachers that there will be a mixture of good, average and poor teaching but I think thats less likely when someone teaches an unusual subject. And small classes help in achieving a high grade too.

[sj355]

I think students achieve mainly A's in Ancient Greek because the amount of pupils taking it to A'level is miniscule - generally not more than 10 in a year group - and examiners probably spend more time marking the papers accurately. I may be wrong, but I assume there are very few teachers who specialise in Ancient Greek and as such I would expect them to be very good and passionate about their specialised field. There are so many Maths, History, English teachers that there will be a mixture of good, average and poor teaching but I think thats less likely when someone teaches an unusual subject. And small classes help in achieving a high grade too.

Yes, you are right. Although these three words

an unusual subject.

pain me. That Ancient Greek should be viewed like this! But I suppose even Latin is now going that way!

[Loopyloulou]

T.i.p.s.y said

I may be wrong, but I assume there are very few teachers who specialise in Ancient Greek and as such I would expect them to be very good and passionate about their specialised field

I think you are wrong Tipsy (did I really say that?!). I had a pretty bad teacher for Ancient Greek - (or at least that's my excuse for getting a "B" )

[T.i.p.s.y]

But Loopy, did you not sit it eons ago when lots of pupils studied Ancient Greek and therefore it wasn't taught by a specialist teacher? Plus A'levels were harder back then so your B is probably equivalent to an A*!