Thank God for Super Selectives

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

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long and winding road
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:36 pm

Thank God for Super Selectives

Post by long and winding road »

I know a lot of people living close to the Kent Grammar Schools disagree with the selection criteria based solely on academic achievement, but I for one am glad. We live in Kent but are considered OOC because we pay our taxes to London Borough of Bromley. Our local comprehensive school is totally the wrong school for our son and he would be dreadfully unhappy there. He would however flourish at a Grammar school where he would be amongst like minded bright boys instead of feeling like a round peg in a square hole. He has had to work really hard to achieve the high score that Judd and Skinners require and deserves his place. If it wasn't for these super selective schools, we wouldn't stand a chance as we are too far from the catchment area to be considered for the other Grammar schools. So thank you Judd and Skinners for giving my son both a choice and a chance to have a HAPPY Secondary Education!!
WillKnot
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Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:12 pm

Post by WillKnot »

All fine and dandy. Except that your son displaces another local child who would have got the place in a local grammar school and will in all probability end up being allocated a place in a school in Dover or Sittingbourne. That child may have scored a few points lower than your child, a difference that has no education or statistical significance.

When your child is a teenager will he be happy when his social life is cut to a big zero because his mates, other children who availed of this wonderful 'opportunity' at 11+, are living in Eastbourne, Hastings, Sittingbourne and Folkestone? I doubt it.
katel
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Post by katel »

How lovely for you. Less lovely for the equally bright child living nest door to the school who now has to travel to Dover for his grammar school place.
aron
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Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:22 pm

Post by aron »

Am totally with you LAWR.Congrats to your son !!!!!and he will have a bright future ahead of him which is much more important than his local social life.Having a grammar school at your door step and going to same school as all your friends are really good things that happen in life.But if you don't have a choice then.....
If you think your son can do much better in a grammar school and if he is a bright boy then you did the right thing.Since you are not in a position to choose between many good schools around you ,judd and skinners must be like an OASIS.
This world is not an easy place ,your son worked hard and so is in a better place .
I know children who board a train at 7:15 everyday morning and they make lots of friends during their journey and they tend to enjoy it and get used to it much quicker than you think.
Getting into a superselective school for a highly accademical student is a turning point in life and he accomplished it!!!!!
tonbridgemum
Posts: 421
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:46 pm

Post by tonbridgemum »

hmm.I think this may open a can of worms. Personally i do think having local friends IS very important. We were lucky enough to get a place at Judd for our eldest son and live locally to Judd. He had local friends but we were stunned at how far some of his year were travelling to school each day! One boy caught a 6.35 train. Thats not healthy for an 11 year old. Remember he had the return journey too.
He had no time for leisure time (we all know how important that part is to them at that age when they are working so hard)
Of course we all want the best school for our children but there has to be a point at which we put them first - and this isnt necessarily just academically. But i'm sure their are lots of people who will disagree with me :wink:
jeanb
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Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:51 pm

Post by jeanb »

Leaving for school at 6.35? :shock: Early morning tutoring?( in another thread)madness! Was this child having to leave at this time out of choice(parents)or because it was the nearest appropriate school he could get into? :?
tonbridgemum
Posts: 421
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:46 pm

Post by tonbridgemum »

PARENT choice. 2 trains . Yes, mad. :shock:
long and winding road
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:36 pm

Post by long and winding road »

Thanks aron for your very supportive post! I knew that this would be a controversial post.
My son, being a bright and intelligent boy is well aware of the journey he will have to make and the decision has been his. There is a private hire bus which will take him and other children from our area to the Grammar schools at 7.30 am each morning (and actually picks up from the bottom of our road). We have a TN postcode - so aren't exactly travelling from Outer Mongolia. Despite a Kent address we, for some very strange reason, come under Bromley!
To Katel and Willknot - We all want what is best for our children. It seems a shame that some people think bright children deserve a place as of right just because of Geography. All bright children deserve a chance - the problem is that there are not enough grammar school places for those of us who would like them. Instead of turning on each other, maybe we should fight for more Grammar schools. At least the super selectives give those children a chance by making it a level playing field.
And furthermore, I think my son will form far better friendships at say Skinners than he would at our local Comprehensive because he will be with like minded boys.
Tracy
Posts: 1123
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:28 am
Location: Bexley

Post by Tracy »

LAWR, really pleased for your son, but please do not rub everyone else's noses in it.

There are a lot of bright kids in Kent and Bexley who will not have the opportunity of attending a decent school, never mind being deemed selective, because of parents like yourself pushing out local kids.

I'm all for a quota to give the brightest a chance but treading on others to get there is nothing to shout about. If this continues the locals will not support the grammars and they will disappear.

Maybe you should put your energies into raising standards of your local schools.
tonbridgemum
Posts: 421
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:46 pm

Post by tonbridgemum »

I dont think you can generalize that there wouldnt be some like minded boys at the local comp :) Remember all the people you have met on here whos boys didnt perform on the day, but were predicted to pass, working to SATS 5's and just havent passed. These boys will be going to the local comp :)
However, i do agree with you, at the end of the day, we do what we think is best for our children. I cant argue with that.
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