Help with finding good School

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Meme
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:15 pm

Help with finding good School

Post by Meme »

Dear Members

I wonder if anybody in this forum could help me? My daughter is in year 5 and we live in Hampshire. There are no grammar school in our area. I want her to write the 11+ exam. My daughter is very brilliant (not genius though!) and I am ready to work hard and relocate. Now the big question! Where?? I have checked the list of Grammar Schools and not sure which is the right place to move to? Am I too late? Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by hermanmunster »

Dear Meme

When moving to go to a grammar school , there are quite a few other factors to consider:

1) How flexible are you re work? family?

2) have you other kids to consider who may / may not pass 11 plus?

3) If you are in year 5 you are really going to have to get on with moving - the exams start in September

4) What sort of area of the country are you considering?
Meme
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:15 pm

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by Meme »

Dear hermanmuster

Many thanks for your reply.

1) No other kid...but I would also keep in mind that in case my daughter could not make it to the exam what option would I have?

2) I am ready for it!! I will put all my efforts..

3) I am so confused regarding the county/area. I want some good schools/ area where I can move ASAP

Thanks in advance
Last edited by Meme on Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by hermanmunster »

Sounds like you can go anywhere... sorry if it is a delicate subject but can you afford to move at the mo? expensive business :roll:

Do you want single gender or co-ed?

Is your daughter sporty?

really after those points it is up to you and where you fancy - all the schools vary and have differing requirements re exam and residence..

Are there any that you are specifically considering?
TraffordMum
Posts: 593
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 pm
Location: Trafford

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by TraffordMum »

You also might want to consider your daughter's strengths. For example, some areas of the country test only verbal reasoning in their 11+ exams, whereas others test verbal, non-verbal and maths or maybe verbal, maths and english.

Some grammar schools choose their pupils solely in order of marks gained in the 11+. Others rely more on a catchment area. These latter schools, while technically *easier* to get into in terms of passmark can sometimes have prohibitively expensive housing close to the school as a result.

Do you have family or friends anywhere in the country that might help to narrow down the choice?
Belinda
Posts: 1167
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by Belinda »

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Last edited by Belinda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by sherry_d »

....move to a grammar area with a good comprehensive backup.

Give us some idea, where you would ideally want to move to.
Impossible is Nothing.
Meme
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:15 pm

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by Meme »

Thanks a ton for all the replies.
I am prepared for the relocation (and I have to as I said there are no Grammar school in our area). Regarding strength of my daughter she is quite good in Verbal and non verbal reasoning and also in Maths. Not sure about English/Science. She is also not sporty. It may sound weird but thats what I am thinking that I will look for my new role in the area where the schools are good schools (Grammar and comprehensive if needed). If I move near to London area, which should be the best area? Is there any good school in Oxford? Am I too late to move? To consider the catchment area for the school, what is the time you should be living in that area? I am confused!!

TA
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by hermanmunster »

Are you sure there aren't any schools locally - moving at this point can be frantic. Do you have a house to sell? they are taking a long time to sell at present.

If you want to try and get her into a school where distance does not matter and then you can move if you get a place you need to look for the super selective grammars with no catchment - I can't list them at this time of night but I am sure others can .
This has the disadvantage of your daughter needing to be REALLY good in all areas, as competition is strong however the advantage of not having to move her to another school for year 6 which you would have to do to be in catchment.

Going for a superselective is high risk as you will have to list the schools on the CAF for your local authority in the autumn (wherever in the country the schools are), and then take the exams - can you be sure she will pass, many of the children taking the tests have been practising for several years specifically for a particularly school or group of schools.

I don't think anyone on the forum is going to name schools to go for other than tell you which are superselective. One person may like a school , others may not - for all sorts of reasons.
Sherbetlemon
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:31 am

Re: Help with finding good School

Post by Sherbetlemon »

Meme, perhaps you need to select a possible area and have a look at the local authority's website to get some idea of when you would need to have moved by, what sort of exam your daughter might be faced with and so on. The rules may be different in other authorities, and the exam certainly so, but it might help you to focus. If you are looking close to London, perhaps start with Bucks? I don't live there, and am in no position to recommend anything, but they have a fully selective system, I believe (25%-ish go to grammar school?). Kent similarly.

Oxfordshire has plenty of decent comprehensives, incidentally, but no state grammars.
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