Birmingham Grammars should be only for Birmingham children

[enema]

There's a whole similar discussion here (diff country, same debate)

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 25&t=41453" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mike1880]

5 of the 8 are run by a Foundation that has as its purpose the provision of education to the children of "Birmingham and the surrounding areas" (and it doesn't say how far out). Luckily the Foundation isn't as mean-spirited as some of the people it serves.

[rah_b92]

School funding is one of the political hot potatoes in Solihull just now; whilst the KE schools will be the exception to the general rule, there are rather more Birmingham pupils in Solihull schools, than vice versa.

[KenR]

5 of the 8 are run by a Foundation that has as its purpose the provision of education to the children of "Birmingham and the surrounding areas" (and it doesn't say how far out). Luckily the Foundation isn't as mean-spirited as some of the people it serves.

...and 2 of the others were originally Grammars for the Royal Borough of Sutton Coldfield not Birmingham - whose residents did not want to become part of greater Birmingham (but Ted Heath forced the boundary changes through).

Maybe we residents living in Worcs should insist that all of the Birmingham prisoners residing in the Worcs prisons and Young Offender Institutions should be returned to Birmingham as well!

[booellesmum]

Strikes me as being like the arguments over immigration. Looks like lots of people coming in until you analyse it with regards to people going out.
Yes, lots of kids go to Birmingham Grammars from elsewhere, lots from Lichfield and Tamworth go to the Sutton schools. BUT lots of kids go the other way. There are kids from Four Oaks who go to Walsall and Lichfield schools because they fall out of catchment for Arthur Terry, and that is the last comp coming this way out of Birmingham.

[Happy dad]

I had a strong discussion regarding this today with some civic members of the society .
Since the Birmingham grammars were originally set up for under privileged children in the town and even today they are funded by Birmingham LA which means residents of Birmingham pay for these schools by paying council tax while most of the places in these schools are taken by the children living outskirts and from more affluential councils who has no contribution to Birmingham LA..
Is this fair ?

Pity it wasn't an educated discussion.

The funds come from the DfE from general taxation, so on that basis anyone should be able to apply and therefore it is in fact "fair" that the geographical location of the applicant should not be a consideration.

I think you will also find that the majority of pupils come from wards within the Birmingham local authority area.

[nervousmom]

Where would my family fit in?

DH and I both born in Bham. I lived in worcs for 25 years. Eldest DC born in Bham, next born in Solihull and youngest 2 in Redditch. I worked in Bham city centre for 14 years. Current address is Solihull, but we are under Warwickshire for schools, pay our council tax to Stratford and have a Bham postcode!

[pmc]

The lines demarcating local government areas on a map are pretty arbitrary affairs, if you think about.

We live in north Bromsgrove, we have a son at KEFW. We live closer to that south Birmingham school than any Birmingham families living on or beyond an arc extending through Handsworth Wood, Aston, Bordesley Green, Tyseley, Acocks Green.. a good half of the city in fact, yet we live in a different district. What about someone who lives in Rubery, or Frankley, or Romsley, or Halesowen? Those places are even closer to Bartley Green. What about the outskirts of Kitwell? That's not Birmingham, but you could walk to to KEFW from there!

Furthermore, as others have pointed out, people from surrounding districts work in Brum, we shop there, we go out there to the cinema, or bowling, or a million other leisure activities you could name. Perhaps we should all make the longer journey into Worcester instead. We could also put some toll booths on the M5 and A38 at Lydiate Ash, charge all those massive trucks that clog north Worcestershire's roads and pollute its air, as they make their way to stock the tens of thousands of shops and businesses in Brum....

No. Despite, it would seem, the wishes of some numpties, the world does not end at Rednal and thankfully you don't need a passport to cross the Lickeys (in either direction)!

[worldcup14]

Does the fact I can't stand living in Birmingham exclude me from applying.

[nervousmom]

Does the fact I can't stand living in Birmingham exclude me from applying.

Most definitely, you will be barred completely