What are your views

[Guest55]

Not all GS are pressurised or give anything like that amount of homework.

[Stroller]

Interesting and relevant blog post here - http://headguruteacher.com/2013/07/17/a ... ell-curve/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - read the whole thing. Someone referenced it previously, but I've forgotten whom to credit.

[kenyancowgirl]

Our GS limits homework in 7&8 to around an hour. The kids work hard during the day and for a longer day than most of the comprehensives, so there is no need to give any more homework. Whilst they are pushed to achieve there potential, I don't think they are "pressurised" - they are encouraged to try their best and work their hardest though. The GS ours are in encourages them to embrace the full school experience so wants them to get involved with drama/music/sport after school and knows that if they want children to embrace these elements then they have to keep a balance with the amount of academic work.

[ToadMum]

Interesting and relevant blog post here - http://headguruteacher.com/2013/07/17/a ... ell-curve/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - read the whole thing. Someone referenced it previously, but I've forgotten whom to credit.

This bloke used to be the HT at KEGS, Chelmsford's answer to QE (I jest, of course, they even let them weird non-boy things join in the sixth form ). When DS1 took the 11+, we had no idea the place even existed, but by DS2's turn six years later I had heard all about how much more desirable it was than our local Southend or Westcliff grammar schools, so we decided to have a look. Well, blow me if we didn't decide that however good the teaching was and however attractive the buildings were, actually they were not enough to tempt our youngest off on a twenty mile cross country bus ride or two changes of train each way five days a week. However, I was very taken with the head, particularly his response to the inevitable 'Oxbridge' questions - namely that they try to help their students to progress to the right place for them, which may not even be at university, let alone Oxford or Cambridge.

I believe an apprenticeship with a local firm of Solicitors was held up as one such example.