Having Second Thoughts About A Grammar...

[mad?]

I'm not sure comprehensive is the right word for it.

It isn't really is it? It seems to me there are all these schools masquerading as comprehensives when they are at least partially selective. I wonder why they do this (the masquerading not the selecting).

[Minesatea]

Specialist schools are allowed to select up to 10% of their pupils on the basis of an aptitute (not ability) for the specialist subject. The technology specialist school near to me uses a NVR paper to assess this aptitude!

In north Essex feeder primaries are more common than catchment areas.

[moved]

I'm the one who got the pm, but there isn't much for me to add.

If you are willing to pm me your location and school I could do a little extra research.

My advice, like everyone else here, is put your schools in the order that you want.

1 Comp
2 Grammar
3 Who knows, but not the "dump".

I will add one thing, if she can pass the 11+ then she will cope at the grammar. They are used to having children who are weaker in some areas than others. I know many children who were academically not spectacular (i.e. not geniuses) who are now thriving at grammar. Like in all schools the children shine in their individual areas.

I worried a great deal about one of my pupils when s/he passed the 11+ and at first s/he struggled, but with a little support, provided by the school s/he is thriving.

Best of luck

Moved

[Minesatea]

jessmum wrote:
There is also an out of catchment entrance exam for this school- but the head said this wasnt essential for us due to the fact she was at the feeder primary and so close to the catchment boundary. It was designed for children who live much further out - as I said, its a desirable school with excellent results.

At the school local to us with this type of selection many children both in and out of catchment sit it - especially those "on the edge". If you decide this school is your first choice then this exam is worth taking to increase your chances of a place.
Do you know what type of exam paper they use? - if it is a subject your DD is already studying for the 11+ then she is already doing the preparation.

[LazyDaisy]

Agree re the exam - at my local Comp loads of children who would expect to get in by distance still sit the exam - it does not disadvantage them in any way so why not do it?

Do double check the nature of the exam - in my borough we have (just a few examples):
(1) School 1 - NVR only;
(2) School 2 - Maths, English and Science;
(3) School 3 - NVR and Technology ( )

All of these are comprehensives (apparently).

[Sally-Anne]

I'm not sure comprehensive is the right word for it.

It isn't really is it? It seems to me there are all these schools masquerading as comprehensives when they are at least partially selective. I wonder why they do this (the masquerading not the selecting).

There are 3 categories of comprehensive schools that can select a proportion of their intake:

1. Bilateral schools, where there is a grammar stream alongside the comprehensive streams.

2. Partially selective schools, who admit a percentage of their pupils according to ability. (The Hertfordshire "grammars" are an example - they are not grammar schools at all, but partially selective comprehensives.)

3. Specialist schools, who can admit up to 10% of their pupils by ability in their specialism(s).

The right of all these schools to select pupils by ability is enshrined in law - there is no mystery or secrecy about any of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partially_ ... England%29 (Note: The musical criterion for Waddesdon C of E School In Bucks has now been completely abolished.)

[mad?]

Thanks Sally-Anne (I'm avoiding ironing too). I don;thave a problem with any of this, it's just that I had alays assumed comprehensives were all non selective, as that is all we have locally. What I am surprised about is that more of them don't become partially selective, as certainly where we are that would convince parents that there was an attempt being made to cater for the more able children, something which is sadly lacking in our local area.

[Sally-Anne]

What I am surprised about is that more of them don't become partially selective

The law prohibits any expansion in the number of selective places, other than where a school acquires a new "specialism". For each specialism they can then select 10% of their pupils by ability in that subject, but the majority have chosen not to do so.

Any specialist school that is deemed to be a high performing specialist school can apply for a second specialism, and in theory that would allow them to select 20% of their intake by ability, taking them into the same realm as the original partially selective schools.

[mad?]

What I am surprised about is that more of them don't become partially selective

The law prohibits any expansion in the number of selective places, other than where a school acquires a new "specialism". For each specialism they can then select 10% of their pupils by ability in that subject, but the majority have chosen not to do so.

Any specialist school that is deemed to be a high performing specialist school can apply for a second specialism, and in theory that would allow them to select 20% of their intake by ability, taking them into the same realm as the original partially selective schools.

Ah...thanks! Sorry I'm going way OT now but would a community school be able to do this? Presumably the LA would have to agree?

[Sally-Anne]

would a community school be able to do this? Presumably the LA would have to agree?

The answer is yes, the option is available to all schools. The LA's involvement depends on whether the LA or the school is the admission authority:

Only a specialist school which is its own admission authority, that is a Foundation or Voluntary Aided school or a Community or Voluntary Controlled school to which the local education authority (LEA) has delegated this function, will be responsible for determining and applying its own admission arrangements. Where the local education authority is the admission authority for a specialist school it must consult the governing body of the school on the proposed admission arrangements before embarking on the wider consultation that is a statutory requirement.