News article about Bucks 11+

[scary mum]

It's very sloppy journalism.

[sparklies]

"Some children in a class miss out on their preferred school as they live beyond the cut-off distance" - that's not newspaper worthy, but it's what the problem actually is. The exam part is irrelevant.

The genuinely sad part to this story is that other children in her class accused her of lying about not qualifying. THAT needed to be sorted out (but not with the papers!) with the school.

And I say this as somebody who had this happen to us; three children including my daughter qualified from our school a few years ago. We missed out on distance (50 yards) in the first round, and they scraped in. We were gutted, but it didn't even occur to us to interpret it in the way this mother has! You can bet the papers weren't involved either Luckily for us, she got in with the second round, but never once did we think any of it was "unfair". It is what it is, there's only a certain amount of space at a school and you literally have to draw the line somewhere.

[Deb70]

It is simply very poor parenting to embark on a major thing like eleven plus, putting children through a lot of work and misleading them that it's for an achievable goal, without first making absolutely sure that the child will be able to get a place if they pass the test.

We are OOC, and before I had even made mention of eleven plus to my child, I checked the admissions criteria for the year of entry and the school. Only when I was certain that the sibling rule came above the catchment rule did I discuss with my DC. Then he knew that if he passed the test, he would definitely get a place. Otherwise, I wouldn't have put him in for the test.

[scary mum]

It was unfortunate (for them) that the distance reduced drastically this year (my DCs wouldn't have got in on March 1st & it's their catchment GS), so the expectation was that if you lived in Slough/Langley etc you would get in. I believe the head even said this at the open evenings. However, it doesn't excuse the poor journalism & "Daily Mail sad face" type article.

[sparklies]

That happened to us too - drastic drop in distance beyond what we might have expected. Traditionally many of the bright children from the school had always gone there. If it wasn't for sibling rule with DD, no chance this year as it fell by another huge margin. One parent is trying anyway in the vague hope there's a surprise, but she's also realistic. The others all have siblings.

[mm23292]

Totally agree, the only issue this story really highlights, is the sad lengths people will go to, in their own interests and to fulfill their own, often unattainable aspirations, rather than that of their children. It reminds me of an amusing news article some time back, where hoards of parents were photographed clambering up the drainpipes of a school building while their children were inside sitting an exam.
It's a fervor that is gaining here, year on year... one we would really be better off without.

[Aethel]

Yes; I have a DD in BGs, she’s very happy there. We are Langley based so Berks, rather than Bucks postcode.
my youngest DC has been to the school for events and says he wants to go to school with her when he’s bigger, (also one of his good friends lives in cachement)....
but we will have to wait and see if BGs keep the sibling rule. If they don’t (or DD goes elsewhere for sixth form) then BGS will no longer be an option unless we moved over the border. It’s just the system and we have to work within it as best we can.

[Perry114a]

Its actually very common across all regions for students who pass 11+ to not get a place in a grammar school.

[scary mum]

Bucks is fully selective, so children who qualify in Bucks would expect to gain a place at a grammar school, which is different to other areas. However, those living outside catchment could not necessarily expect to get a place

[WillowFae]

Both girls in the article are from Langley.

One of the mothers says her daughter has been “traumatised” by not getting a place. I’m afraid that’s all on the parent for giving her false expectations!

I’m in MK and you would be amazed by the amount of parents that post on MK facebook groups thinking that MK has grammar schools (because SOME children go to AGS, AHS, SHF, or RLS) and that passing the 11+ means that they are guaranteed a place.

They have been shocked when it has been pointed out to them that there is no point in starting to tutor them from the age of 7 when they live somewhere that is never going to get them in.