Concerns about accepting a place if offered
Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 2:56 pm
You will all have to bear with me, but I have been agonising over whether to post this topic for over a week and have decided that even though I may receive a lot of criticism I would appreciate your thoughts and considerations whatever they might be.
We were fortunate in that our son passed the 11+, which he sat at Spalding Grammar, with a exceptionally creditable score. I was very pleased for him as I have said before, because he received very little encouragement to try the 11+ from anyone, but he wanted to do it and so we gave it a go and he has been quite badly bullied in the past.
We had an unplanned moved just before he sat the 11+ and he changed primary schools for Yr 6 just 3 days before. At his old primary school he was in the top group for everything, in the top 5 in fact, but this was only out of class of 31 and predicted to get level 5's in Yr 6( He achieved 4a-4b in all subjects in Yr 5 and missed a level 5 in his maths by 1 point).
As I have said he has changed primary school in Yr 6 and at a recent parents evening, they were very non-committal about how he is progressing. They said that he had the ability to get level 5's but would only say that he would definitely get reasonably high Level 4's.
He is still in top groups for everything, but recently children were chosen to attend the local comp as they were "deemed" G&T in either Maths or Science. Children that went are not in the same group as my son (i.e. in lower groups) and he was not chosen to go.
The next concern is that he has began to form some good relationships with some of the children that will be going to the Local Comp and I think if you were to ask him now which school he would prefer to go to he would say "the Comp."
We put the Local comp as our 3rd option on the CAF form, it is a good school, with good facilities and literally just around the corner from our home. We are out of catchment for Spalding GS but were hoping with a good score that he may get in.
My problem now is if we get offered a place at Spalding GS should we accept it as
a) is he good enough if he does not get level 5 in his SATS?
b) will he struggle if he goes there?
c) Would it be better for his confidence to go to the Local Comp and be one of the higher achievers than someone needing help at Grammar school.
d) He has Aspergers Syndrome traits and lots of changes and new relationships are hard for him to deal with
e) one of the boys that "bullied" him may be going to the same grammar school but so might one of his really good friends from his old primary school
f) If he went to the local comp it would mean that he would have more free time for homework and extra curricular activities as he would not have to travel for 40 mins in the morning & 40 mins at night too and from school and could easily maintain the relationships that he has started to build
g) If get offered Spalding GS and decide against it I would have to appeal to Local Comp to get him in. What criteria could I use for appeal.
I know there are many of you out there who are probably hoping to appeal if you do not get into a grammar school and that I may appear insensitive to your plight, but indeed I am not as I also just want what is best for my son. I just want him to achieve his potential, be happy and not be under pressure.
Your comments and thoughts are gratefully appreciated. Of course this may all be academic as on Thursday we may not even be offered a place, but I just want to be prepared either way.
We were fortunate in that our son passed the 11+, which he sat at Spalding Grammar, with a exceptionally creditable score. I was very pleased for him as I have said before, because he received very little encouragement to try the 11+ from anyone, but he wanted to do it and so we gave it a go and he has been quite badly bullied in the past.
We had an unplanned moved just before he sat the 11+ and he changed primary schools for Yr 6 just 3 days before. At his old primary school he was in the top group for everything, in the top 5 in fact, but this was only out of class of 31 and predicted to get level 5's in Yr 6( He achieved 4a-4b in all subjects in Yr 5 and missed a level 5 in his maths by 1 point).
As I have said he has changed primary school in Yr 6 and at a recent parents evening, they were very non-committal about how he is progressing. They said that he had the ability to get level 5's but would only say that he would definitely get reasonably high Level 4's.
He is still in top groups for everything, but recently children were chosen to attend the local comp as they were "deemed" G&T in either Maths or Science. Children that went are not in the same group as my son (i.e. in lower groups) and he was not chosen to go.
The next concern is that he has began to form some good relationships with some of the children that will be going to the Local Comp and I think if you were to ask him now which school he would prefer to go to he would say "the Comp."
We put the Local comp as our 3rd option on the CAF form, it is a good school, with good facilities and literally just around the corner from our home. We are out of catchment for Spalding GS but were hoping with a good score that he may get in.
My problem now is if we get offered a place at Spalding GS should we accept it as
a) is he good enough if he does not get level 5 in his SATS?
b) will he struggle if he goes there?
c) Would it be better for his confidence to go to the Local Comp and be one of the higher achievers than someone needing help at Grammar school.
d) He has Aspergers Syndrome traits and lots of changes and new relationships are hard for him to deal with
e) one of the boys that "bullied" him may be going to the same grammar school but so might one of his really good friends from his old primary school
f) If he went to the local comp it would mean that he would have more free time for homework and extra curricular activities as he would not have to travel for 40 mins in the morning & 40 mins at night too and from school and could easily maintain the relationships that he has started to build
g) If get offered Spalding GS and decide against it I would have to appeal to Local Comp to get him in. What criteria could I use for appeal.
I know there are many of you out there who are probably hoping to appeal if you do not get into a grammar school and that I may appear insensitive to your plight, but indeed I am not as I also just want what is best for my son. I just want him to achieve his potential, be happy and not be under pressure.
Your comments and thoughts are gratefully appreciated. Of course this may all be academic as on Thursday we may not even be offered a place, but I just want to be prepared either way.