Dr Challoners' Grammar School

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

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Rob Clark
Posts: 1298
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:59 pm

Re: Dr Challoners' Grammar School

Post by Rob Clark »

I do agree there isn't a lot of difference between the teaching quality of GS and non-selective secondary schools
It's a well known, if little admitted, fact around here that a maths teacher at the secondary modern gives private tutoring to children from a certain GS.
One would like to think that students at GS are more academic
I'm not sure about that. Intelligence isn't linear, children have peaks and troughs at different ages. All the 11+ tells you is which children were better at a very particular type of exam on one specific day – the first thing new starters at DCGS are told is that 11+ results have absolutely zero bearing on GCSEs or A level results a few years down the line.

The notion that children who don't go to GS aren't suited to academic careers is certainly disproved by my daughter's friendship group from her secondary modern.

Good luck to you and your son, though, I hope he enjoys the Beacon.
SGadd
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:11 pm

Re: Dr Challoners' Grammar School

Post by SGadd »

Rob Clark wrote:
I do agree there isn't a lot of difference between the teaching quality of GS and non-selective secondary schools
It's a well known, if little admitted, fact around here that a maths teacher at the secondary modern gives private tutoring to children from a certain GS.
One would like to think that students at GS are more academic
I'm not sure about that. Intelligence isn't linear, children have peaks and troughs at different ages. All the 11+ tells you is which children were better at a very particular type of exam on one specific day – the first thing new starters at DCGS are told is that 11+ results have absolutely zero bearing on GCSEs or A level results a few years down the line.

The notion that children who don't go to GS aren't suited to academic careers is certainly disproved by my daughter's friendship group from her secondary modern.

Good luck to you and your son, though, I hope he enjoys the Beacon.
Thank you very much. I hope we are making the right decision. It is true that children who go to non selective schools are just as academic and successful as GS schools. Thank you.
Mostlymum
Posts: 116
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:14 pm

Re: Dr Challoners' Grammar School

Post by Mostlymum »

Recent experience of both the Beacon and DCGS...

Mine went to the Beacon from Y3 to the end of Y6 for a number of reasons, most to do with our local primary. Over the years they were there the school size increased dramatically, facilities improved and the fees jumped too... They generally enjoyed their time and had some really great teaching, some not so. They got the most benefit out of extra-curricular activities, especially Drama and DT.

In terms of the 11+, there is absolutely no preparation. You opt in to do it, they let you know about deadlines but the choice is completely yours. Quite a few parents who are unsure about whether their children will be staying on do it speculatively and decide afterwards. Private external tutoring is pretty much routine.

In my boys' years there were generally about 25 who moved to grammars including RGS and CGS although the majority went to DCGS. The boys do CAT tests from Y3 so you can get a rough objective idea of their academic level as the school doesn't do SATs.

While mine might be a bit ambivalent about their time at the Beacon, they have loved DCGS. I'd also not rule out SCD - there is no catchment for the academic exam so it's a useful backup.
SGadd
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:11 pm

Re: Dr Challoners' Grammar School

Post by SGadd »

hermanmunster wrote:
SGadd wrote:
scary mum wrote:The pass mark is 121, but that is a standardised score, so that approximately 30% pass. Therefor the actual raw score needed will vary slightly each year, depending on sevarl things, one of which is how "bright" a particular cohort is, or how hard/difficult the tests are that year. If a lot of highly tutored children from out of the area (for example, those aiming for super-selective grammar schools) it will push up the raw score required to pass. Every year this results in local children not achieving the cut-off of 121, while children who never intended to go to the schools achieve high scores. It also costs the schools money to run the tests. (All of this partially answers your question on the DCHS thread).
Oh wow, I did not think of that. That is awful to sit the test if you do not intend to attend a GS in the area.
happens a lot unfortunately - children get taken to do what is effectively a "free mock" and it can really mess up the allocations for in area children

re the transfer test pass rate - the 77% may be the number who passed as a percentage of those who took it, whereas the 33% may be the percentage of the whole year group. DD's year there were 3 who took the exam and all 3 passed, so pass rate of 100% - there were also 15 who didn't take the exam so pass rate of 16%
Ahh this makes sense. Thank you.
SGadd
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:11 pm

Re: Dr Challoners' Grammar School

Post by SGadd »

Mostlymum wrote:Recent experience of both the Beacon and DCGS...

Mine went to the Beacon from Y3 to the end of Y6 for a number of reasons, most to do with our local primary. Over the years they were there the school size increased dramatically, facilities improved and the fees jumped too... They generally enjoyed their time and had some really great teaching, some not so. They got the most benefit out of extra-curricular activities, especially Drama and DT.

In terms of the 11+, there is absolutely no preparation. You opt in to do it, they let you know about deadlines but the choice is completely yours. Quite a few parents who are unsure about whether their children will be staying on do it speculatively and decide afterwards. Private external tutoring is pretty much routine.

In my boys' years there were generally about 25 who moved to grammars including RGS and CGS although the majority went to DCGS. The boys do CAT tests from Y3 so you can get a rough objective idea of their academic level as the school doesn't do SATs.

While mine might be a bit ambivalent about their time at the Beacon, they have loved DCGS. I'd also not rule out SCD - there is no catchment for the academic exam so it's a useful backup.
Great to find someone who has gone through the experience - thank you. I sent you a pm.
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