Views on Bucks Grammars

[southbucks3]

but I am not sure it provides what is perceived as a grammar education (though their results are good).

That depends who is doing the perceiving.
Were you expecting rows of wooden lift top desks with pacing gowned masters carrying canes?
The uppers were a whole lot worse forty years ago, but then despite the huge disparity in investment and education standards quite a few of the grammars left metaphorical scars on local people too.

As long as people wish to move to the area, commit to living here and invest time, money and emotion into the community, then moving in search of a better education for their children is as good a reason as any as long as they move to the catchment of a good upper too, it's all relative and depends what their current local secondary is like. I personally would shift to an area with fab comprehensive school rather than a two tier area, but just remember all schools are not without fault.

[Tolstoy]

Guest 55 I am looking places closer to London so amersham ,chesham...

Mpsv am a little confused. Do you need to have access to London? I thought from your post that work was in the Midlands.

I ask because I am not sure whether you are having to move or chosing to move?

If chosing then in answer to the question should I move for a Grammar school education I would say no stay where you are.

However if your DC options for secondary school are poor then yes move as competition for Uni is tough and DC are expected to get increasingly higher grades for many courses. Whilst DC can and do succeed in failing schools it does require a lot more commitment from both DC and DP to enable that.

Bucks has some excellent Grammars it also has some excellent Uppers but like everywhere else in the country there are also some poorly performing Uppers. Some of the Grammars do seem to benifit from an extraordinary amount of extra funding and the Challoners schools seem to be among that group. However there may well be some Comprehensives that also benifit in that way.

The crux is if you have the money or opportunity to site yourself near a Comprehensive then your DC will secure a place the same is not necessarily so of a Grammar place. If you doubt this take a look at the appeals section and read about the many cases where obviously bright and hardworking DC tutored or not have fallen short of the required score.

Also be aware that DC having suffered the upheaval of relocating, fitting in to a new primary, forging new friendships etc may be forced to go to a different school than those friends and this can be very upsetting for everyone involved. Yes DC are resiliant and they will cope but why put them through that painful experience if you don't really have to.

With hindsight this is the one thing I hadn't factored in to the equation when we were forced to relocate and I regret it deeply.

[mad?]

With hindsight this is the one thing I hadn't factored in to the equation when we were forced to relocate and I regret it deeply.

Big hugs Tolstoyxxx

[Tolstoy]

Thanks Mad? xx

[mpsv]

Thanks Tolstoy... I think we have decided to stay here and we bought a house...but my hear wants to move ...but my head says no as dd would have go through the process all over again. I think I should come out of the grammar madness and focus on sending her to independent school if possible.

Any suggestion on good independent schools ...

[Tolstoy]

That may well work out cheaper in the long run and would be far less stressful for all involved


There is a whole section dedicated to sorting out the needs of those who chose to go Independednt.

[Eccentric]

[quote
Take a look at the appeals section and read about the many cases where obviously bright and hardworking DC tutored or not have fallen short of the required score.

.[/quote]

I would absolutely agree with Tolstoy my DD was one of the ones that everyone thought would pass and didn't it happens! The test just didn't suit her despite extremely high CAT scores and high levels she failed both the 11+ and the 12+ Thankfully we did get her into a GS on appeal in the end but it was a struggle and we were lucky. We went to two appeals and one failed miserably and the other succeeded but it could have failed too. It was just the luck of the draw and a sympathetic panel. Some 11 year olds don't test well despite being bright.