Clarification on one point

[sarajtb]

Can any let me know the difference between a Selective school and a Super-selective school? Are schools put into these catagories officially or is it just that the ones that are the most difficult to get into are known as the latter?

[hawkeye]

My undertsanding is that the 'super selectives' are the selective schools that not only require a grammar assessment ie a pass in the test but that select their pupils on the basis of score in the test ie the pupils that get the places are the ones that score the highest marks.

[U400JB9]

That`s my understanding too.
A selective school generally take children who pass on distance, a superselective school take children on score rather than distance or as well as distance.

[Amber]

I think there is an element of opt-in or opt-out (of testing) too? I think an area with selective schooling generally operates an opt-out policy and takes about a quarter to a third of pupils into grammar school. There is some element of catchment area with all passes securing a place.

In a superselective, an opt-in system of testing operates, and no catchment, so children from other counties or even other countries may take the test and be offered a place. A pass does not guarantee a place - the highest ones get in, with different schools able to set different scores. I think generally there are far fewer children in an area going to grammar school in areas with system (around 4% here in Gloucestershire, vs about 28% in Bucks which is selective).

I think.

[ourmaminhavana]

So a school that takes the in catchment passes followed by the highest score for ooc irrespective of distance is primarily selective, is that right? Or a hybrid?

[Amber]

So a school that takes the in catchment passes followed by the highest score for ooc irrespective of distance is primarily selective, is that right? Or a hybrid?

A cherry -picker. Fulfils its statutory obligations and then makes sure it gets the best of the rest, by the sound of it. It seems there are as many models of selective education as there are routes into teaching (32, apparently). We sure do specialise in diversity in these small islands.