Getting into a grammar school in Gloucester

[muminTewkes]

I got ds's CAT scores at the end of year 5...but I had to push and push for them-seems they thought me very odd wanting them.
I got them in case I had to appeal(thinking STRS)and thankfully,that's now no longer an issue.

[spottycat]

I would be more than happy to send my dc to Balcarras since it is an excellent school, however, there are other schools in Gloucestershire, however, which are not so fantastic - any well informed parent who wants the best education for their children will try by whatever means to get them into a good school - Grammar schools in particular. I've done supply in a number of schools in the county and witnessed some extremely challenging behaviour which is often routine in some schools. The system is letting academically able working class children down completely. Over the years I've photocopied papers for children whose parents didn't think about the grammar school for their children and who couldn't afford to buy the papers let alone pay for tutoring - education is in a large part about aspirations and expectations. My youngest dc is at a comp. - with a good reputation - but I am thinking of trying to transfer dc to another school - after having two dc go through grammar school I have really noticed the difference in expectations. There have also been some difficulties with behavioural issues in lessons - this is in top sets - with incidents of chairs and books being thrown - teachers being told to f*** off - frequent noisy disruptive lessons etc.. etc... - the work has been marked less frequently and there has been a lack of constructive HTI comments given with no clear indication of how progression can be made. I pay my taxes who can blame me for wanting the best education I can get for my children - the system meanwhile continues to let a lot of children down.

[Milla]

It's got to be said, Betty, that getting into Balcarras is possibly even more expensive than getting into GS. And part of a system which is shamelessly abused. House in Charlton Kings anyone? Nice middle class catchment. Tales of people trampling on the chances of other people by renting a house in catchment (I know 2 such personally). It's not a particularly pretty scenario, nor any nobler an approach to snagging the best for "our kids" than tutoring.

As I posted somewhere it is clear that Pate's, from their website, expect tutoring to go on (and, frankly, for good or bad, I imagine that they quite want supportive, sussed parents to keep chucking cash in the coffers and make sure the homework is done). A child isn't just a thing at a desk but part of a family and the successful schools (and I include Balcarras here) can attribute much of their success to a co-operative, engaged set of parents, too, and not just the teaching.

[Tessiebear]

Quite agree Milla.

As the head of one of the grammars shown on the Birmingham programme "The Big School Lottery" remarked, when they pictured him at the massive queueing up for the grammar test at his school, that it was far fairer than deciding places by those who could afford to move nearer to the school of their choice, to let it be decided on academic ability, however much of a lottery on the day of the test it might be.

That series of programmes was great and showed that the fight for grammar places, 1 in 10 there as well and problems of tutoring etc is not soley restricted to Gloucestershire, but that others are going through equally as tense times or even worse, with Birmingham having separate exams for each grammar (yuck! ) and then having to wait until 1 March to not even get results pass or fail or the marks, but just be told if allocated a grammar school!!!!!!

It did make you feel like you were not alone in going mad and even that we should be grateful for the system we have here!

Surprised no one has mentioned it before on the Forum but haven't looked at the Birmingham postings so perhaps it was talked about on their bit.

[capers123]

with Birmingham having separate exams for each grammar (yuck! )

Well at least that part insures against an off-day on the day of the exam. You might miss on your number one choice, but at least do well on another one.

[haeckel]

The Pate's website states they are aware that tutoring goes on. That is not the same as Pate's saying that they expect it to happen (implying they think it is a given/should happen/is somehow built into the system).

Tutoring must work against the purpose of grammar schools, & the GHSA (headed by Pate's head) has described a need to create exams that can't be tutored for.

[cairo]

I grew up in a part of the country without grammar schools, so naively assumed that if my DCs turned out to be bright enough, their school would tell me and even help prepare them (if preparation were needed.) Ha, ha, ha!

It seems to me that most (all?) state primary schools operate as if grammar schools don't exist. And that is the biggest travesty of all. We live in a county which has selective secondary provision, for goodness sake. Grammar schools are every bit as much a part of the state system as comprehensives. So why don't primary schools encourage their bright children to consider all the options? Why, given that they have information which identifies the bright children at the beginning of Y5 is this information not routinely shared with parents?

It would be very easy for the LA/schools to send a letter to all parents saying "Here are your child's CATs results. If your child has scored 120+ (say) you might like to consider the GSs. The GSs are x, y and z. The exam takes place on such and such a date and consists of 2 VR tests. Practice VR tests can be bought from .... or downloaded from ...." etc. It would be even better if all children were automatically entered for the test and preparation classes provided, as was the case in 1930s Britain and is still the case in Kent today.

However, because in Gloucestershire none of this information or support is forthcoming, parents have to scramble around in the dark, some of us fortunately happening upon sites like this where information is shared.

I do think this is very unfair for those naturally bright children who have disinterested parents however. Primary schools could do a lot to rectify that disadvantage, yet choose not to. After all, if they can find the time in Y6 to do endless mock SATs, why can't they also do a bit of grammar test practice for those who want it? After all, SEN children receive specialist help, why not the children at the other end of the spectrum?

[muminTewkes]

HUGE round of applause for cairo......

[proud mum x2]

Here Here! ALL children deserve the supprt they need, Grammar schools are almost like a "dirty secret" to a lot of primary schools.

[Milla]

Absolutely. In fact it is pretty sick and immoral, I'd say, to spend so much effort and time in getting the kids to jump through hoops purely in order to maintain a good place in the league tables. Education should be geared towards the needs of the child NOT the school.

My child had to have the madness in his writing, the stuff that made it unique and imaginative and just what a ten year should be able to write, squeezed out of him to fit the bland and narrow requirements of the SATS marking system. Rotten. Yet not a word about GS, about what might be right for his future, rather than the school's future. Needless to say, the school enjoy being able to say that, oh yes, approx half of Y6 get into a GS each year. That'll be with WHAT encouragement and help, then, primary school?? Oh, a dismal "choice" evening attended by a bleak choice advisor who looked like she'd rather be poking needles in her eyes. Interestingly, she was angry with the county council for stopping the provision of the choice booklets, the things with all the info about all the schools in them which had to be sourced on line instead; I don't know if things changed this year.