Bucks and Slough

Eleven Plus (11+) in Berkshire (Berks)

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chad
Posts: 1647
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:49 pm
Location: berkshire

Post by chad »

HI PT... I am having the same worries from the 'snippets' of information given on this forum. It is hard when you have no knowledge of the school, only what you can pick up on by talking to students and teachers.
I could have pushed my son more or had him tutored but chose not to. Was that a mistake? Same old chestnut.... Will a child who has been constantly tutored be able to 'achieve alone' when at grammar school?
My son is in the Windsor system (2nd year at middle school)
He scored 113 and so should be receiving an offer from Slough Grammar.
I have spoken to a three parents (friends of friends) whose children go to SG and they all spoke highly of the school.
chad
Posts: 1647
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:49 pm
Location: berkshire

Post by chad »

Apart from the SG website and the Ofsted Report (Feb 2004) There is very little info on Slough grammar.... although they are included in many news items, as are Langley and Herschel.
The Ofsted report highlights the management of SG as a great strength and also the quality of teaching.
Catherine -(a recent poster) made an individual visit to SG and said that she was satisfied with her choice of SG after talking to the head, pupils and teachers.
I think that certain schools may suit one child and not another... or one parent but not another. Everyone has their opinion. I would also like clarification of the points raised by 'Mike' but will live with the decision I have made. :roll:
Compared nationally all the slough grammars are among the best so I think we should be happy with an offer.
There are many who would happily swap with us. :P
Catherine
Posts: 1348
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:47 pm
Location: Berks,Bucks

Post by Catherine »

Many postings in this thread have been either removed or changed because it has been discovered that, although signed with different pseudonyms, many negative comments had the same origin.

As I mentioned in a previous post, following Tone’s comments I went back to SG. I first went unannounced to reception to book an appointment with the head teacher, an also to get an extra feel about the school. I did not get further than reception on that day, but went along the building facing the street and had a peep through the widows to look at the pupil’s behaviour during lesson time. It was all good. All pupils seem to be focusing their work and the teacher, and I did not spot any misbehaviour of any kind.
I then got an appointment for the following week and went with my husband. We had a school tour led by three six formers to which we asked lots of questions. We found these pupils very pleasant, relaxed, articulate as we also did for our ‘guides’ during previous school tours. They were better than our 'guides' from the other schools. We asked amongst other things about the teachers and about pupil behaviour. Their answer was very positive. We did not feel that they were trying to ‘sell’ the school.
We finished our tour at break time when the corridors filled up with pupils and did not notice any bad behaviour or disorganisation.
We finally had a talk with the assistant head teacher (the head was not available) who came across as friendly, not as formal as the head that we had met previously.

Overall, we left with a good feeling about the school.

I am pleased to see that others from this forum (Chad, Chris, PT, anyone else?) have children who will start next September in Slough Grammar along with my son :D :D
Guest

Post by Guest »

Hi to all,
To make your decision easy you have to look at the school performance at A level because that should be an indication of the quality of teachers.
Slough grammar does very poorly compared to St Bernard and Langley. The average point scored in slough is below 280 compared to388 for St Bernard and Langley. The higher the average score for a level points the better the offers from top universities. Slough grammar average score only compares with above average comprehensive. So try and take this in consideration when you make your decision. Also ask about the school performance when math and English are included because you will be very surprised how schools are very good in score manipulation.

I had to make that decision last year where my daughter had an offer from slough and a an academic scholarship from an independent school. I chose the later of course. I still have to pay half the fees . But I am glad I have made that decision. The independent school average A level score is above 430. With 25 percent make it to either Oxford or Cambridge.

Rgds
chad
Posts: 1647
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:49 pm
Location: berkshire

Post by chad »

As posted before... the A' level results can be affected by other factors. The intake of lower graded students at GCSE level in 2003 may have made a difference to A'level results in 2005. Slough Grammar must also have a large intake at 6th form level as there are apparently 780 pupils(approx) in the 'main school' but sixth form brings it up to around 1200. (Not so sure these figures are completely accurate as having a senile moment)
I agree with the point about GCSE 'passes' as one ICT GNVQ course was said to be worth 4 grade C GCSE passes. Slough Grammar GCSE A-C pass rate falls from 93% to 91%, according to the dfes performance tables, when using the new A-C (including Maths & English) data.
Again the 'Value Added' can be completely skewed as shown at the link below
http://www.ngsa.org.uk/news/2004/valueadded01.htm

As the guest has said there are schools that compare more favourably in the league tables. I cannot unfortunately stretch to paying fees for my son's education and 91% will do.
Catherine
Posts: 1348
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:47 pm
Location: Berks,Bucks

Post by Catherine »

I was going to post something similar to Chad about A level results.

About GCSE results:
Yes, the number pupils with A-C GCSEs is the lowest of the 4 Slough grammars.

But in terms of number of points per pupil it is a different story. The results are :

Langley 500, St Bernards 489.6, Slough 489.5, Herschel 458.1.
chad
Posts: 1647
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:49 pm
Location: berkshire

Post by chad »

Catherine
Could the discrepancy be that the

% A-C data is worked out using the number of pupils taking the exams

while the

GCSE point score Average is worked out by dividing the Total points achieved by year 11 pupils by the total number of children in the Year Group.

This would mean that pupils who were not entered for the exam would only impact on the points score average not the % A-C data.

If anyone can clarify this I would be grateful.
chad
Posts: 1647
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:49 pm
Location: berkshire

Post by chad »

After some research (trying to get my head round dfes tables and their explanations) I think both are calculated using total no of pupils in the year group. In the points score they only used to take the best 8 GCSE or equivalent into the calculation (capping, see dfes statement below) but not since 2004

Capping
Please note: From 2004, capping will be applied only to the average point score within value added calculations (KS2 – Age 15 and KS3 - Age 15 VA measures); the standalone total average point score will now be uncapped. Capping for value added will continue to be at the level of 8 GCSEs (or equivalent).

This means I am no further forward in understanding why there is a difference.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Hi to all,
I do not know where Catherine got the figures from .Here is a link from the BBC showing the latest A level performance , Showing the A level average score results . Universities use the scores on the right of the table for admissions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/e ... el_lea.stm


Sort by name Sort by
GCSE Sort by
Sorted by A/AS
% score score
St Bernard's Convent School (SEL) 99 1017.9 381.1
Langley Grammar School (SEL) 99 1021.8 361
Slough Grammar School (SEL) 93 1009.9 259.2
Herschel Grammar School (SEL) 97 1007.9 236.1


If you compare St Bernard to Langley You find that the students achieved better scores at St Bernard than Langley. but slough has only scored 259.2 which is in line with the national average.
Do not use the percentage of 93 as a mark of achievements as it does distort the result due to the reason of the children’s ability at the selection examinations at 11 plus. This is very important info highlighted to me by a friend who is been in education at higher level for over 40 years. Always use the average "A" level score acheived by the school.It is a very good indication of the qulity of teaching at that level.

Rgds
Susan
Guest

Post by Guest »

Hi,
The school that my daughter will hopefully get an offer for in March(out of area in N.Yorks) gets a GCSE 5 A/C score of 535 and an A/As level score of 436. :) Is this good?

Sounds ok to me, but I'm no expert.

How misleading can these scores be?? :?

Footymad.
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