Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

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FluffyD
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 5:22 pm
Location: West Yorks

Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by FluffyD »

We were very lucky and our DS's Y4 teacher told us about our nearest grammar school (which we had no idea about :oops: ) and that our DS should go for it as she thought he was the right kind of child for it. I am eternally grateful for her for doing this as we have sionce visited the school and it is perfect for him, since just before xmas we have been prepping and I am hopeful tjhat our OOC application will be accepted.

Reading on here it seems that there are very few teachers/heads that are willing to give the nod/idea/suggestion to parents that their child is suited to grammar. I can kind of understand why they don't prep in schools but why don't they notify the bright kids' parents of what their future could hold? Are they truly doing their best for the pupils if they don't let them know or do I have it wrong and loads of teachers do tell??
Vic x
Marylou
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by Marylou »

Our eldest DD's Y4 teacher tipped us the wink that we should be looking "elsewhere" (i.e. not the local comp) for her secondary education. At the time we were not aware of the grammar option despite living so close to the county boundary, and it was only through conversation with other parents that we found out about it later.
Marylou
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by yoyo123 »

I suppose it depends where you are. In Kent we have county wide grammars so I suppose it is a bit different.
aargh
Posts: 406
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by aargh »

Our DCs teachers were making suggestions as early as year 3, but as I understand it, many state primaries don't. This is bizarre because Grammars are part of the state education system. Primaries should be being clear about the options for provision for the able pupils just as they provide for gifted an talented in their own schools.
MrsBrown
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:47 pm

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by MrsBrown »

In our Junior school, there is no mention (almost a taboo subject) of alternative to local comp. They are almost incredulous you do not want your child to go there!

Certainly not encouraged, and certainly not talked about in front of other parents (only one GS success story from last year) for fear of spreading the idea that you can excel expectation. I feel like we have joined some underground sect and are treated like "educational snobs".

Any one else had negative vibes from other parents?
FluffyD
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 5:22 pm
Location: West Yorks

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by FluffyD »

MrsBrown wrote:In our Junior school, there is no mention (almost a taboo subject) of alternative to local comp. They are almost incredulous you do not want your child to go there!

Certainly not encouraged, and certainly not talked about in front of other parents (only one GS success story from last year) for fear of spreading the idea that you can excel expectation. I feel like we have joined some underground sect and are treated like "educational snobs".

Any one else had negative vibes from other parents?
Yes I have, not from the other parents that are going for it but obviously but from those that aren't and have no concept of having a choice in upper school rather than just sending DC to the local upper school. To be fair, it is a good school, I just think that the GS suits my DS better. (smaller, boys only, science specialist etc etc)
Vic x
Long Journey
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:43 am

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by Long Journey »

Yes. But only because I asked if it's something we should pursue, and if he felt DD had a realistic chance. The teacher said he was very confident that she will do very well, and needed no preparing :x . All that confidence but if I'd never asked nothing would have been mentioned :roll: .
First-timer
Posts: 698
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:47 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by First-timer »

I've never asked my DC's teachers about their chances in the 11+. DS's Y6 teacher volunteered his opinion that DC wouldn't pass. He'd asked his class about the secondary schools they wanted to go to. When DS said the GS, the teacher tried to dissuade me from letting him sit the exam. Thank goodness I didn't rate the teacher's opinion. Another boy in a different year group was told by his teacher he wouldn't pass. Guess where he is now?

Our school seems to say very little about the whole process. I know a couple of mothers have had teachers suggest their children sit the exam. There was one teacher who used to make such suggestions and then offer to tutor the children. The problem is that there seems to be no correlation between the children deemed by the school as suitable to sit the exam and those who end up passing it!
Moonlight
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:20 pm

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by Moonlight »

When my daughter sat the 11+ a few years ago, her teacher said she didn't think it was worth it. I kind of knew that she was right but it was a case of 'if we didn't try, we'd never know'. We tried and it wasn't meant to be.

Because we had already gone through this, it was a natural thing to do with my son three years later. Academically, he was stronger and had a different attitude altogether to his work. For a start, he actually wanted to go to a grammar school which helps!

We never had any support from his primary school and I'll never know if they would have recommended him for the 11+ because it was something we were going to do anyway. I do remember during a Parents' Evening in Year 5 the teacher saying to my son 'it will be you this time next year'. She was referring to two of the children who had just been given places at the grammar school. She was very sure that he would pass but I didn't want to get our hopes up and actually wished she hadn't said that.

It was nice that she had so much faith in my son's ability but I felt in a way that there was then some kind of expectation that he would pass.

The school was very much in favour of their local feeder secondary comp and didn't prepare the children for any other school. It was and still is a foregone conclusion that this is where their children will move on to.

They were, however, delighted when I told them that my son had passed his 11+ and was going to grammar school.
zeinab
Posts: 353
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 11:25 pm

Re: Did your state teacher recommend your DC for grammar?

Post by zeinab »

Got a great story to tell that happened 7 yrs ago & will never forget - a classic I say see what you think.

Teacher suggested my eldest 7yrs ago sit 11+, thought she was pulling my leg as I believed grammar school was high up on the scale for us simple folk to reach. anyway few months tutoring & luck was on ds's side.

Following yr same teacher said the same about ds2. thought she was just being kind cos 2nd wasn't (so I believed) grammar school material. again few months tutoring & luck shined upon us once more.

Before no2 sat 11+, advised another mother about grammar schools. As with my ds1, she thought it was out of her son's reach as his teacher had told her that he would not do well if he wasn't tutored. however feedback from my no2 told me that her son had the sound basic tools required for grammars. Stuck my neck out & asked her what schools she was considering for her son. she looked lost & said don't know as a lot of the surrounding state weren't creme dela creme. when I told her about grammar she told me what his teacher had said & I replied what SHE as a mother thought (obviously taking teachers comment into account). She looked confused. As a mum I told her she had nothing to lose if her son sat all 3 grammar school exams. he wasn't tutored & guess what guys he PASSED all 3 & 7 years ago- allocations was slightly different then & all 3 schools had confirmed his success - all fighting to offer him a place if she declined her 1st choice. know i shouldn't have interfered. not a teacher but felt that boy was special (probably having 3 boys & a girl of my own). We still keep in touch & apparently her son is a high flier both academically & potential national sportsman.

A true story to warm the cockles of ones heart. :lol:


Forever grateful for teacher's advice. Without her intake my eldest 2 wouldn't be where they are.

Good luck to ds3 who wants to follow suit. then bit of rest for 3 yrs & again with dd.

Good news to you all for 1st March. :)
Last edited by zeinab on Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:53 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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