Getting into a grammar school in Gloucester

[muminTewkes]

Im pretty sure we didnt have a choice advisor this year? ..although I went the year before(when ds1 was yr4)when a letter was sent home.
I am getting increasingly cross at the lack of errr, anything regarding how ds1 was/is doing until his announcement after the results of how he did and now all we've had is how "lucky"he is and hasnt he done his school "proud"
I so cant wait till parents evening.....
I really,honestly have felt like ive been harbouring a dirty little secret all these past few months as proudmum(i think?)said-thank goodness for this forum where youre not met with incredulous looks of surprise and/or jealousy...I wouldnt mind but we hardly spoke to a soul about it outside a circle of close friends~as I said,dirty little secret

[Milla]

Well if you will pursue a black market education, what do you expect ??

[muminTewkes]

Indeed Milla.Silly me.
Well Ill know for next time..and the next..and the next..and the next

[proud mum x2]

To be honest..... we should know better than to explore a different path for our kids.... we should be happy with our local comps and not stir up trouble, or, God forbid, ask any questions,! Ah well- I always was a rebel anyway! By the way I'm from Tewks too!

I work in a primary school too- I can say that they are far too dangerous to mention!

[capers123]

There is a Choice Adviser. He/She covers the whole of the County. For Primary, Secondary and (maybe) Sixth Form. I'd also heard that it could possibly turn into a part-time post.

Not surprisingly, I've never seen them in my area.

Edit - PS:
I remember an appeal a few years ago, where one of the panel members had only done appeals in Gloucester for inner-city primary schools. This was a secondary appeal out here in the sticks. The parents had been confused as to how to fill in the forms correctly, eventually not getting it right, and hence the appeal.

The panel member insisted that the parents would have had access to the Choice Adviser to help them, yet the parents had not heard of such a person. We had to adjourn the hearing so our clerk could contact the school to see when the Choice Adviser had visited.

Much to the panelists surprise, not only had the Choice Advisor not visited the school, but the school secretary was unaware that there was such a person in the county. This was a nice school in a very middle-class village.

The panel member was shocked. The rest of us were not. As I understand it, the Choice Adviser is available to anyone, but should concentrate on areas where there are the most problems.

[pixiequeen]

The lack of interest/information concerning secondary school transfer at DD's school has really taken me by surprise. Have always been met with blank looks and sealed lips when I mention grammar school, but really thought there would be some information on offer and possibly even some guidance when year 6 came.

One letter home from LEA stating DD's catchment school and giving her URN.
An LEA leaflet about open evenings (only evenings, mind you, not the day time sessions when you can see the schools for 'real.')
Brochures from every comp except the one we were interested in, including some we didn't have a cat's chance in h*** of getting
Nothing about grammars except the test dates on the back of the open evening leaflet.

Now that she's passed - only comment I've had from a teacher (who taught her for all 3 years of infants) was 'She's in, then?' until parents evening when her current teacher was enthusiastic about DD's success and then went on to say how hard DD would need to work for the rest of this year as SHS is so competitive DD couldn't afford to start off behind the other girls... (and there was me thinking I might let her just wing it for the rest of this year... )

[capers123]

Now that she's passed - only comment I've had from a teacher (who taught her for all 3 years of infants) was 'She's in, then?' until parents evening when her current teacher was enthusiastic about DD's success and then went on to say how hard DD would need to work for the rest of this year as SHS is so competitive DD couldn't afford to start off behind the other girls... (and there was me thinking I might let her just wing it for the rest of this year... )

Are you sure it's not the teacher wanting her to work hard so she gets good SATs scores so the teacher/school looks good?

I must say that the teachers view of SHS is somewhat different to the one I have as a parent of a Y8 girl. I'd not say that it is a competitive school. OK, some girls are 'Rocket Scientist' level, but competitive?

Oh, unless the teacher means the competition to be first in the queue for pizza/panini at morning break.

The thing is, so many of the subjects are 'new' that all the girls start at pretty much the same level. OK, I know of native French speakers who are naturally advanced at French, that kind of thing, but it's not competitive. If any children were a little behind in a subject, the staff would soon suss that out & sort it.

Don't worry. Let her relax & have fun in her last year at Primary. You may wish to thank the staff there for all the extra help they gave in helping your daughter pass the 11+ by your daughter giving as much attention to her SATs.

[chatternatter]

Capers, i just chuckled away at your posting, help with SATS is thrown at them if they fall in the twilight zone, however if you have a child that is already achieving level 5, they dont seem to water them as well. My dd was achieving level 5a & b s at the end of last year. so when i went to parents evening recently her new teacher said "and now she is working towards level 5", he was very red faced when i told him that she had already achieved this an surely should be encouraged to work towards 5b, 5c,. There was not even a mention of congratulations to my child or myself at parents evening and this was two days after the results, the school is so not interested in grammar school and no help or advice was given. The choice advisor, hmmm where do i start, being a responsible parent who wants the best for their child i went along to the parents evening, the advisor was busy at another school and we had been sent some random lady who normally does admin, nice enough but every other question was met with well you will need to contact the advisor about that. We did however have some local heads and head of ribston, this gave some much needed information and helped me with some decisions on whether to put dd in for the test.

The playground has not mentioned the TEST since results day, it really is like a dirty secret that i should dare to help my child with the best education possible.

[pixiequeen]

Capers, thank you for your comments! I will definitely be letting DD return the favour at school.

It is great to hear your opinions on SHS - the teacher had me worried for a bit. I know DD won't be top of the class when she gets there and I didn't like the idea that she would feel the need to compete with the rocket scientists.

I am assuming that the fact that you've chosen it for your DD2 means you are happy with the school - we don't know anyone with a child at SHS that we can ask.

Not convinced school care any more about SATS than they do the 11+ - have no idea what level DD is at. Information not volunteered at parents evening and forgot to ask. Think she sat one single level test in maths at the end of last year and nothing else. SATs levels are as dirty a secret as the 11+ at our Primary.

[capers123]

I know DD won't be top of the class when she gets there and I didn't like the idea that she would feel the need to compete with the rocket scientists.

Don't forget that the difference between the top & the bottom of the class is a lot smaller than in primary school. If your primary has 'sets' for maths or english, it's the difference between the person at the top of the top set, and the one at the bottom of the top set. In other words, they'll hardly notice. SHS uses a 'Personal Best', so any competition is against yourself.

I am assuming that the fact that you've chosen it for your DD2 means you are happy with the school - we don't know anyone with a child at SHS that we can ask.

Delighted with it. We really like the buzz around the school, and the only other school we looked at that had a similar feel was Archway (even though some local parents would throw up their hands in horror at the thought of sending their beloved child to a comp). I think that the quote in the Good Schools Guide from one teacher sums up a lot of the children I've met: "We like to think that we're nurturing the next generation of eccentrics". There are an awful lot of individuals there, rather than sheep.

Not convinced school care any more about SATS than they do the 11+ - have no idea what level DD is at. Information not volunteered at parents evening and forgot to ask. Think she sat one single level test in maths at the end of last year and nothing else. SATs levels are as dirty a secret as the 11+ at our Primary.

Assuming it's a Gloucestershire State Primary, they will have the results of the CAT tests taken in Y5. It can be a struggle getting them out of some schools, but you are entitled to the information. However, at this stage, you probably don't need it.