WHICH PRIMARY
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
WHICH PRIMARY
I am in the process of moving to the south of the county with my job. I will be working in Peterborough but do not wish my child to be educated there.As Lincolnshire is still a selective county, we wish our daughter to go to a grammar school. She is described by her current school as being of average ability (currently year 4) but with the right teaching and learning environment could pass her 11 plus and do well at grammar school.
My question is to people in the south of the county, does anybody know the most successful primaries when it comes to getting pupils through the 11 plus.
I know the question is very blunt but if you don't ask you don't get.
We intend to move to the Market Deeping or Bourne areas because of the short distance to Peterborough.We are aware that there are grammars in Bourne and Spalding.
Any help would be most welcome.
Thank you.
David s
My question is to people in the south of the county, does anybody know the most successful primaries when it comes to getting pupils through the 11 plus.
I know the question is very blunt but if you don't ask you don't get.
We intend to move to the Market Deeping or Bourne areas because of the short distance to Peterborough.We are aware that there are grammars in Bourne and Spalding.
Any help would be most welcome.
Thank you.
David s
Hello David,
I am afraid this is not going to be the straightforward answer which you probably want! I do not know which primaries are most successful at 11 plus - the actual pass rate figures are certainly not published. State primaries are "not allowed" to coach for the 11 plus and, as far as I am aware, they seem to toe the line and simply give the children the prescribed 2 practice papers in the July before they take the tests in September. Therefore, your best bet is to look for a school which generally does well and gets good reports. You also need to check whether your preferred school will be likely to have places in the year groups which you want. Some areas of Lincolnshire are quite short of places in some year groups.
You must also check whether the area you move to will be within the usual distance for getting a place in the Grammar School which you want. Bourne GS has been oversubscribed in the last few years and Spalding has filled all its places. In Bourne itself and in Market Deeping you would have been OK for either in the past few years but if you are looking at outlying villages, check the distance factor. You should also think about your fall-back position should your daughter not qualify. Market Deeping has a well-thought of and successful comprehensive and Bourne also has a comprehensive which does quite well - but some people have nevertheless felt unhappy about these alternatives so best to look for yourselves. Stamford has the endowed schools which are very popular if you can afford the fees or manage to get a scholarship or bursary and Peterborough has the King's School which is partially selective or for which you may qualify if you are religiously committed.
Good luck.
I am afraid this is not going to be the straightforward answer which you probably want! I do not know which primaries are most successful at 11 plus - the actual pass rate figures are certainly not published. State primaries are "not allowed" to coach for the 11 plus and, as far as I am aware, they seem to toe the line and simply give the children the prescribed 2 practice papers in the July before they take the tests in September. Therefore, your best bet is to look for a school which generally does well and gets good reports. You also need to check whether your preferred school will be likely to have places in the year groups which you want. Some areas of Lincolnshire are quite short of places in some year groups.
You must also check whether the area you move to will be within the usual distance for getting a place in the Grammar School which you want. Bourne GS has been oversubscribed in the last few years and Spalding has filled all its places. In Bourne itself and in Market Deeping you would have been OK for either in the past few years but if you are looking at outlying villages, check the distance factor. You should also think about your fall-back position should your daughter not qualify. Market Deeping has a well-thought of and successful comprehensive and Bourne also has a comprehensive which does quite well - but some people have nevertheless felt unhappy about these alternatives so best to look for yourselves. Stamford has the endowed schools which are very popular if you can afford the fees or manage to get a scholarship or bursary and Peterborough has the King's School which is partially selective or for which you may qualify if you are religiously committed.
Good luck.
which primary
Thank you Alex. We are going down to the area next week and have appointments at a couple of schools in the Bourne and Market Deeping localities.
I have asked a couple of work colleagues who are already in south Lincs for advice this week and they came up with some quite startling answers. However, we will make up own minds and I will post my experiences.
Dave S
I have asked a couple of work colleagues who are already in south Lincs for advice this week and they came up with some quite startling answers. However, we will make up own minds and I will post my experiences.
Dave S
David, Bourne Grammar is over subscribed and the catchment area appears to be reducing every year. Given the choice I would not risk moving to Market Deeping as you *may* not get offered a place living there. The nearer to Bourne you are the more chance you have of gaining a place for your child. Also, if transport is an issue, you will NOT get a free school bus if you live in Deeping. I believe Baston children get a free bus but that is as far South(?) as the free buses go.
Hope that makes sense!
Perhaps someone else could advise regarding the catchment areas for Spalding.
It may be worth calling the Grammar schools and asking them which areas are in catchment too.
Good luck with the house move.
Hope that makes sense!
Perhaps someone else could advise regarding the catchment areas for Spalding.
It may be worth calling the Grammar schools and asking them which areas are in catchment too.
Good luck with the house move.
which primary
Thank you for the post. We visited the area last week and spent a couple of days looking at primaries.
You are right about the Market Deeping situation. In fact, both primaries we visited advised against us even contemplating the 11 plus if we moved there and schooled our child in the area. They are obviously fiercely proud of their own secondary but that is not what we would like for our child and so have discounted the area fullstop.
We have looked at various league tables and feel that Bourne Grammar is very good at turning out top quality public exam results.
I have spoken to a friend of a friend through work who has children in the school and it would appear to tick the right boxes for us.
We acept that we will have to live very close to the school but are prepared for that and have arranged a return visit in a couple of weeks to try and tease out the best primary for a tilt at the 11 plus. We will look at the two in Bourne . I believe that the villages of Thurlby, Morton and Edenham also have primaries. Bit of a marathon I know , but we can't afford to get it wrong.Any thoughts anybody?
David S
You are right about the Market Deeping situation. In fact, both primaries we visited advised against us even contemplating the 11 plus if we moved there and schooled our child in the area. They are obviously fiercely proud of their own secondary but that is not what we would like for our child and so have discounted the area fullstop.
We have looked at various league tables and feel that Bourne Grammar is very good at turning out top quality public exam results.
I have spoken to a friend of a friend through work who has children in the school and it would appear to tick the right boxes for us.
We acept that we will have to live very close to the school but are prepared for that and have arranged a return visit in a couple of weeks to try and tease out the best primary for a tilt at the 11 plus. We will look at the two in Bourne . I believe that the villages of Thurlby, Morton and Edenham also have primaries. Bit of a marathon I know , but we can't afford to get it wrong.Any thoughts anybody?
David S
My son attended a primary in Market Deeping and is now at Spalding Grammar. Yes the deeping primary schools are very proud of the Deepings Shool(Secondary) and with good reason as it is an achieving secndary school, but that does not mean that your child cannot attend a school in Deeping and go to a grammar school. In my sons class there were a couple of girls that went to Bourne Grammar and one that went to Spalding High and another boy that went to Stamford to a private school.
My understanding is that none of the state primary schools in the Lincolnshire area actually prepare the children for the 11+. I think if you specifically want your child to go to Bourne Grammar then you shoud be thinking about locality in conjunction with their admittance criteria. Remember as I said there are children going from Deeping to Bourne Grammar.
Why do you want your child to go to Bourne specifically? Is it because of its specialism, you childs specific needs either educationally or emotionally. Can Spalding High, The Kings School, Peterborough High or Stamford offer what you require?
The reason I ask is because we also considered Bourne Grammar but we opted for Spalding for specific reasons.
I hope that you find what you need.
My understanding is that none of the state primary schools in the Lincolnshire area actually prepare the children for the 11+. I think if you specifically want your child to go to Bourne Grammar then you shoud be thinking about locality in conjunction with their admittance criteria. Remember as I said there are children going from Deeping to Bourne Grammar.
Why do you want your child to go to Bourne specifically? Is it because of its specialism, you childs specific needs either educationally or emotionally. Can Spalding High, The Kings School, Peterborough High or Stamford offer what you require?
The reason I ask is because we also considered Bourne Grammar but we opted for Spalding for specific reasons.
I hope that you find what you need.
Hello sj,
THanks for your thoughts.We have discounted Deepings because we cannot afford not to get in on the distance from school criteria- the risk is too great for us.
We are also keen that she continues to go to a co-ed school which Spalding High is not. Kings at Peterborough requires I believe that prospective students are regular church goers which would disqualify us.
Peterborough High and Stamford are both fee-paying.
We therefore come back to Bourne. As I said , we are due a return visit shortly to see all of the local primaries and whilst I am aware that coaching is not allowed , I am sure that I can tease out which of them have the highest pass rates.Uncomfortable questioning I know, but I owe to my child to do my best.
Dave s
THanks for your thoughts.We have discounted Deepings because we cannot afford not to get in on the distance from school criteria- the risk is too great for us.
We are also keen that she continues to go to a co-ed school which Spalding High is not. Kings at Peterborough requires I believe that prospective students are regular church goers which would disqualify us.
Peterborough High and Stamford are both fee-paying.
We therefore come back to Bourne. As I said , we are due a return visit shortly to see all of the local primaries and whilst I am aware that coaching is not allowed , I am sure that I can tease out which of them have the highest pass rates.Uncomfortable questioning I know, but I owe to my child to do my best.
Dave s
hello katel,
i appreciate your thoughts, but we have been told that if we live in bourne, our chances of a place at the deepings school are remote and if we live in deeping then we would not get into bourne grammar. we are prepared to take a risk on the grammar school if we can get her into a primary sympathetic to our needs.
dave s
i appreciate your thoughts, but we have been told that if we live in bourne, our chances of a place at the deepings school are remote and if we live in deeping then we would not get into bourne grammar. we are prepared to take a risk on the grammar school if we can get her into a primary sympathetic to our needs.
dave s
Please be aware that although your chances are increased if you live closer to the school, that NUMEROUS children going from Deeping to Bourne Grammar and also check Bourne's entrance criteria carefully. The Deepings is a good school if the 11+ goes seriously wrong. What would be your 2nd and 3rd choices if you resided in Bourne?david55 wrote:hello katel,
i appreciate your thoughts, but we have been told that if we live in bourne, our chances of a place at the deepings school are remote and if we live in deeping then we would not get into bourne grammar.
dave s